LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


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REMINISCENCES 


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WINFIELD  SCOTT  HANCOCK 


REMINISCENCES 


OF 


WINFIELD  SCOTT  HANCOCK 


BY   HIS  WIFE 


NEW    YORK 

CHARLES  L.  WEBSTER  &  COMPANY 
1887 


Copyrighted,  1887. 
BY  CHARLES  L.  WEBSTER  &  CO 

(All  rights  reserved.} 


PRF.SS  OF 

JENKINS  &  McCo\*AN, 

224  CKNTRE  ST .,  N.  Y, 


TO    MY    FRIENDS 

AND   THE 

MANY    ADMIRERS    OF    MY    HUSBAND 
I    DEDICATE    THIS    BOOK. 


PREFACE. 


I  HAVE  yielded  with  reluctance  to  the  appeals 
made  to  me  for  the  recital  of  events  connected 
with  the  earlier  part  of  my  husband's  life,  and  not 
contained  in  the  several  biographical  sketches 
that  have  been  published.  The  task  is  difficult, 
and  in  some  respects  painful  to  me,  but  as  you, 
dear  friends,  who  have  shown  such  kind  persist 
ence  in  urging  the  work  upon  me,  predict  that  it 
will  interest  others  as  well  as  yourselves,  I  have 
resisted  my  disinclination,  and  will  give  the  narra 
tive  in  my  own  way,  taking  your  thoughts  back 
to  those  happier  days  before  the  great  storm  that 
later  burst  upon  the  land  had  caught  us  up  in  its 
currents,  and  before  the  clouds  of  personal  loss 
and  deprivation  had  overshadowed  our  lives. 

My  husband's  character  was  one  of  such  noble 
simplicity  and  directness,  as  to  be  better  illus 
trated  by  his  own  deeds  and  utterances  than  by 
any  words  that  might  be  written ;  and  these 
imperfect  recollections  of  a  life  that  was  so  con- 


PREFACE. 

spicuously  marked  by  unselfish  ambition,  great 
achievements,  the  purest  patriotism  and  the  most 
conscientious  adherence  to  truth  and  right  at  all 
hazards,  must  derive  their  interest  from  the 
person  to  whom  they  relate,  and  depend  in  but 
slight  measure  on  the  manner  of  the  telling. 

A.  R.  H. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

PREFACE vii 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Marriage — Contretemps  of  the  evening — Removal  to 
Jefferson  Barracks — Their  dilapidated  condition — 
Lieutenant  Hancock's  love  of  trees  and  plants — 
General  Buell  and  the  burning  of  the  steamboat  Kate 
Kearney i-io 

CHAPTER  II. 

Life  at  the  Barracks — Thrilling  and  amusing  anecdotes — 
Volunteer  mode  of  conducting  a  court-martial — Jack, 
the  Bean-Killer — Cholera  at  the  Barracks — Self-pro 
tection  on  the  Mississippi — General  Twiggs  and  Major 
Banks 1 1-20 

CHAPTER  III. 

Concentration  of  troops  at  Fort  Leavenworth — General 
Harney  and  General  Clark — Correspondence  between 
General  Sumnerand  Lieutenant  Hancock — Lieutenant 
Hancock  made  a  Captain 21-25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Ordered  to  Florida — Troubles  with  the  Seminole  Indians — 
Services  in  the  Everglades — An  exciting  row  down  the 
river — A  Sentry  shoots  his  friend — General  Harney 's 
negro — Threatening  to  hang  the  pappooses — Russell 
Hancock's  intercession — Birth  of  Ada  Hancock 26~34 

ix 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE 

Ordered  back  to  Fort  Leavenworth — Trouble  in  Kansas — 
Benden  becomes  noted  as  a  pugilist — Starting  for 
Utah — Captain  Hancock's  journal — Ordered  to  Bene- 
cia,  Cal. — Twenty-one  hundred  miles  on  mule-back — 
Anecdote  of  a  mule — Incidents  of  the  long  journey  — 
Vigilantes  and  Anti-Vigilantes — Why  General  Han 
cock  preferred  the  Infantry 35~44 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  two  months'  leave  of  absence — Life  in  Washington — 
Mrs.  Joe  Johnston — Major  Robert  E.  Lee — The  start 
for  California — Arrival  at  Aspinwall — An  overloaded 
vessel — The  fight  on  the  boat — Ordered  to  Los  An 
geles — An  exciting  eighteen  miles  stage-drive 45~53 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Description  of  Los  Angeles — Amusements — Coyotes  inter 
fere  with  lunch — Adventure  with  a  drunken  Indian — 
Church  services — A  Spanish  demonstration — Indian 
etiquette — A  Fourth  of  July  celebration 54-64 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

News  of  the  fall  of  Sumter — Mr.  Hancock  applies  to  be 
ordered  East — General  Albert  Sidney  Johnson — Feel 
ing  in  the  West — The  parting  at  Los  Angeles — Inci 
dents  of  the  voyage  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York 
— Startling  rumors 65-76 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Arrival  in  Washington — Mr.  Hancock  promoted  to  be  a 
Brigadier-General — Social  life  in  Washington — Mr. 
Stanton — Trying  to  pass  through  the  lines — Mr.  Dana  77-89 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  spy  system  during  the  war — The  battle  of  Williams- 
burg — At  Fredericksburg — Hooker's  remark  before 
the  fight — Hooker  replaced  by  Meade — The  advance 
in  the  direction  of  Gettysburg — General  Hancock 
wounded — Removed  to  Norristown — Stanton's  letter 
to  General  Hancock — Resolution  passed,  thanking 
General  Hancock 90-102 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   XL 

Episode  at  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania — Recruiting  a  Vet 
eran  Corps — News  of  Lincoln's  assassination — General 
Hancock's  relations  to  the  trial  and  execution  of  Mrs. 
Surratt — Headquarters  removed  to  Baltimore — Trip 
to  the  battle-field  of  Gettysburg 103-112 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Transferred  to  the  Department  of  Missouri — Troubles  with 
the  Indians — A  stolen  Cheyenne  Chief — The  big  chief 
of  the  house — An  Indian  fight — Ordered  to  New 
Orleans  to  command  the  Fifth  Military  District 113-122 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

The  journey  to  New  Orleans — How  Order  No.  40  was  writ 
ten — Its  grateful  acceptation  by  the  Southern  people — 
Reception  at  St.  Vincent's  Orphan  Asylum — The 
reign  of  the  Carpet-Baggers — An  effort  made  to  drop 
General  Hancock  from  the  army  rolls — Its  failure — 
General  Hancock  resigns  his  command  of  the  Fifth 
Military  District 123-1 32 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

General  Grant  and  General  Hancock — Convention  of  1868 
— General  Hancock  refuses  to  commit  himself — Letter 
from  Hon.  S.  T.  Glover,  and  reply — Assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  Department  of  Dakota — Fight  with 
the  Blackfeet  Indians — False  sentiment  in  the  East 
with  reference  to  the  Indians 133-143 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Convention  of  1872 — General  Hancock's  name  proposed — 
Transferred  to  the  Division  of  the  Atlantic — The 
Sabcock  Court  of  Inquiry 144-150 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Excitement  during  the  campaign  of  1876 — General  Han 
cock's  letter  to  General  Sherman I  ?i-i  57 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

PAGE 

A  rescinded  order — General  Hancock's  letter  to  Wm.  H. 
Hurlburt — Scheming  against  General  Hancock — His 
letter  to  General  Sherman — The  Great  Strikes — Re 
moving  Headquarters  to  Governor's  Island — Anecdote 
of  Russell  Hancock 158-169 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

General  Hancock  nominated  for  President— His  Accept 
ance — The  campaign — How  he  received  the  news  of 
his  defeat — The  Yorktown  Celebration — Death  of  Rus 
sell  Hancock — Death  of  General  Hancock — His  char 
acter — Conclusion 170-181 

APPENDIX  A. 

Narrative  of  the  Operations  of  the  Second  Army  Corps, 
from  the  time  General  Hancock  assumed  command, 
June  9,  1863  (relieving  Major-General  D.  N.  Couch), 
until  the  close  of  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg.  By  General 
C.  H.  Morgan,  late  Chief  of  Staff,  Second  Army  Corps.  182-222 

APPENDIX  B. 

President  Johnson's  message  to  Congress — General  Order 
No.  40 — Judge  J.  S.  Black's  letter  to  General  Han 
cock  223-226 

APPENDIX  C. 

Note  on  Dr.  W.  G.  Eliot 227-228 

LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES 229-338 

MILITARY  RECORD 339-34-0 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Fine  Steel  Portrait  of  General  Hancock FRONTISPIECE 

Fine  Engraving  of  Birthplace  of  General  Hancock 2 

Fine  Portrait  of  General  Hancock  soon  after  graduating 

at  West  Point,  from  an  old  Daguerreotype 6 

The  Rev.  W.  G.  Eliot,  who  married  General  and  Mrs. 

Hancock 16 

Etching  of  Schoolhouse  where  General  Hancock  attended 

when  a  boy 23 

Portrait  of  General  Hancock  and  his  son  Russell 33 

Portrait  of  Ada  Hancock 72 

Portrait  of  General  Hancock,  taken  during  the  war 79 

Longwood ,  the  St.  Louis  Home 84 

Fine  Steel  Portrait  of  Mrs.  Hancock 91 

Portrait  of  General  Morgan 96 

Portrait  of  General  Mitchell 105 

Portrait  of  Colonel  Parker in 

Portrait  of  General  Bingham 1 16 

Portrait  of  Colonel  Miller 121 

Portrait  of  Captain  G.  L.  S.  Ward 129 

Portrait  of  General  Hancock  and  Staff,  taken  immediately 

after  General  Grant's  Funeral 1 36 

Engraving  of  Exterior  of  Headquarters  at  Governor's 

Island 140 

Engraving  of  Park  on  Governor's  Island 146 

View  in  South  Parlor,  Headquarters  at  Governor's  Island  164 

Portrait  of  Russell  Hancock 1 68 

Engraving  of  Mantel  in  Parlor  of  Headquarters  on  Govern 
or's  Island 173 

Engraving  of  Badge  worn  during  the  Hancock  and  English 

Campaign 181 

xiii 


CHAPTER  I. 

Marriage — Contretemps  of  the  evening — Removal  to  Jefferson 
Barracks — Their  dilapidated  condition — Lieutenant  Hancock's 
love  of  trees  and  plants — General  Buell  and  the  burning  of  the 
steamboat  Kate  Kearney. 

T  WILL  commence  my  personal  recollections  of 
General  Hancock  with  our  marriage,  which 
took  place  at  the  residence  of  my  father,  Samuel 
Russell,  in  St.  Louis,  in  the  midst  of  warring" 
elements,  thunder,  lightning  and  hail,  so  unusual 
at  that  season  of  the  year,  January  24,  1850. 
There  are  some  who  will  recall,  as  I  relate  them, 
the  several  contretemps  that  occurred,  and  the 
predictions  that  were  made  in  consequence.  First 
the  extinguishing,  three  times  before  and  after  the 
ceremony,  of  all  the  lights  throughout  the  house  ; 
and  a  similar  occurrence  at  a  reception  given  in 
our  honor  by  General  and  Mrs.  Harney,  produced 
a  sensation  of  impending  evil  in  the  minds  of  the 
superstitious,  and  might  have  left  its  impression 
upon  our  own .  hearts,  had  not  the  new  life  upon 
which  we  had  just  entered  been  so  full  of  promise 
as  to  defy  the  predictions  of  a  universe. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


CONTRETEMPS  OF  THE  WEDDING  EVENING,  3 

The  idle  rumors,  at  home  and  abroad,  that  the 
bridal  dress  was  made  of  spun  glass,  had  brought 
together  a  great  crowd  of  the  curious,  who  were 
hoping  for  a  glimpse  of  this  phenomenal  costume. 
This  mob,  as  it  were,  impeded  every  approach  to 
the  house,  necessitating  the  assistance  of  a  police 
force,  wrhich  irritated  the  people  almost  to  vio 
lence.  Altogether  a  stormy  beginning — was  it  pro 
phetic  ?  I  think  the  question  has  been  substan 
tially  answered.  Yet  as  the  sun  gave  forth  its 
brightest  rays  from  behind  the  darkest  clouds, 
before  sinking  to  rest  upon  the  marriage  eve,  so 
has  the  sunlight,  at  intervals,  entered  completely 
into  our  lives,  giving  such  unspeakable  happiness, 
calm,  patience  and  courage,  as  to  counteract  the 
dreaded  dispensation.  Quickly  and  uneventfully 
did  the  first  happy  year  and  a  half  go  by,  with  a 
blessing  added  to  the  many  already  granted,  of  a 
precious  baby  boy,  who  filled  our  every  thought 
and  hope. 

But  this  had  all  to  end,  and  I  to  realize  the 
truth  that  separation  from  the  dearest,  best  of 
parents,  and  the  happy  home  of  my  girlhood  was 
inevitable.  The  link  was  to  be  stretched,  not 
severed,  that  connects  the  past  with  the  great 
future  that  had  so  much  hidden  from  us  both. 

The  removal  from  our  city  home  was  brought 
about  by  an  economical  collapse,  which  our  Gov- 


4  REMINISCENCES  OF  W1NFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

ernment  experiences  periodically,  crying  retrench 
ment  of  expenditure,  but  usually  beginning  and 
ending  with  the  Army,  as  a  class  the  most  inoffen 
sive,  defenseless,  and  the  least  understood  of  all 
public  servants. 

General  Newman  I.  Clark,  who  was  then  in 
command  of  the  Department  of  Missouri,  with 
headquarters  at  St.  Louis,  was  ordered  to  transfer 
them  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  twelve  miles  below 
the  city.  My  husband  being  on  his  staff  as  aide- 
de-camp,  as  well  as  regimental  adjutant  of  the 
Sixth  Infantry,  accompanied  him,  with  the  other 
members  of  the  staff.  The  change  was  not  en 
tirely  distasteful  to  me  ;  on  the  contrary  I  rather 
enjoyed  the  novelty  which  this  new  life  brought ; 
and  the  close  proximity  to  St.  Louis,  a  most  hos 
pitable  city,  which  has  always  extended  to  the 
Army  its  most  distinguished  civilities,  was  con 
sidered  a  privilege,  and  so  appreciated  by  all.  We 
did  not  find  all  couleur-de-rose  by  any  means,  but, 
as  became  a  soldier's  wife,  I  cheerfully  submitted 
to  the  embarrassments  of  the  situation.  Our 
quarters  were,  in  fact,  untenantable,  hingeless  and 
keyless,  necessitating  nailing  up  the  doors  at 
night.  It  became  evident  that  this  condition  of 
affairs  was  to  continue  for  weeks,  as  no  relief  was 
offered  or  complaint  heeded.  An  appeal  was 
therefore  made  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the 


UNTENANTABLE  QUARTERS.  $ 

post,  the  famous  Colonel  Bragg,  of  Mexican  fame 
(afterwards  distinguished  in  the  Southern  army), 
a  charming  gentleman  personally,  but  over-rigid 
in  military  matters.  He  replied,  that  as  our  quar 
ters  had  been  considered  habitable  by  an  officer 
of  higher  rank,  Major  Rains,  he  thought  a  second 
lieutenant  might  occupy  them  as  they  were. 
Thereupon  my  husband  opened  upon  him  a  lively 
correspondence,  setting  forth  his  claims  to  some 
thing  more  than  the  courtesy  which  was  offered, 
and  concluded  by  informing  the  Colonel,  that  if  a 
major  thought  proper  to  consider  a  house  tenant- 
able  without  keys,  etc.,  and  to  live  in  it,  he  knew 
no  rule  by  which  he  should  be  compelled  to  fol- 
lowr  this  example.  Of  course,  the  authority  of 
General  Clark,  who,  although  the  Department 
Commander,  was  regarded  by  the  garrison  as  an 
intruder,  soon  made  these  matters  straight  ;  but 
from  this  time  on,  the  conflict  between  the  officer 
commanding  the  recruiting  depot,  and  General 
Clark,  commanding  the  Department,  continued, 
as  each  asserted  his  claim  to  precedence  over  the 
other. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  after  the 
Mexican  War,  the  announcement  that  a  Retir 
ing  Bill,  a  new  pay  bill,  and  a  bill  for  raising 
three  additional  regiments  were  then  before  the 
Senate,  threw  our  garrison  into  a  state  of  nervous 


6  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINF1ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


LIEUTENANT   HANCOCK  SHORTLY   AFTER    HIS   GRADUATION    AT   WEST   POINT. 


DISAPPOINTED  OF  PROMOTION.  J 

excitement.  Those  eligible  for  retirement  were 
quaking  over  the  possible  calamity  awaiting 
them  ;  others  in  a  state  of  expectancy  were  hop 
ing  that  a  captaincy  might  be  thrust  upon  them 
unsolicited  ;  while  others  put  forth  every  effort 
to  secure  one  of  the  prizes.  My  husband  was 
of  the  last  class.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  Gen 
eral  Pierce,  who  was  then  President  of  the  United 
States,  asking  for  a  commission  in  one  of  the  new 
regiments.  He  would  not  have  ventured  upon 
this  bold  proceeding,  had  he  not  been  invited  to 
do  so  by  the  President  himself,  who  felt  kindly 
towards  him  in  consequence  of  their  service  to 
gether  in  Mexico.  At  the  same  time  my  husband 
was  a  candidate  for  the  first  vacancy  in  either  the 
Adjutant-General's  or  Subsistence  department, 
with  every  prospect  of  success,  as  General  Cad- 
walader,  of  Philadelphia,  and  other  influential  gen 
tlemen,  were  interesting  themselves  in  his  behalf. 
A  vacancy  did  occur  in  the  Subsistence  Depart 
ment,  but  the  appointment  was  given  to  another  ; 
the  only  reason  assigned  by  the  Chief  of  the 
Department  being  that  Lieutenant  Hancock  was 
married.  A  singular  reason  truly,  and  only 
to  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  General 
Gibson  and  General  Shiras  were  bachelors.  An 
other  blow  from  which  he  was  slowr  in  recovering, 
was  his  failure  to  receive  a  commission  in  any  of 


8  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

the  new  regiments,  which  were  organized  in  1854, 
when  those  near  him,  whom  he  ranked,  and  who 
had  entered  the  service  three  years  after  him, 
were  promoted.  Still  his  gratification  was  mani 
fested  over  their  good-fortune,  and  out  of  mag 
nanimity  and  generous  impulse  he  wrote  congrat 
ulatory  letters  to  each.  I  knew  how  severe  was 
the  wound  to  his  professional  pride,  but  it  did  not 
impair  his  strict  observance  to  duty,  or  destroy 
his  interest  in  things  around  him.  In  the  planting 
of  trees  and  shrubbery  he  took  special  delight,  in 
the  belief  that  he  was  doing  a  great  benefit  to 
those  who  would  be  stationed  there  in  years  to 
come.  I  have  often  heard  him  express  himself 
somewhat  as  follows  :  "  Some  day  I  may  return 
here,  if  I  live,  and  venture  to  ask  some  knowing 
one  (while  looking  at  my  beautiful  trees)  who 
planted  them.  He  will,  in  all  likelihood,  name 
some  one  who  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  But 
'  sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof.' ' 

This  strange,  jealous  love  he  bore  for  every  tree 
and  shrub  which  he  caused  to  be  planted,  contin 
ued  throughout  his  life,  and  in  giving  them  his 
tender  care  and  watchfulness — as  many  garrisons 
can  bear  testimony — he  found  a  vast  amount  of 
daily  relaxation.  A  great  writer  said,  "  Every 
man  who  plants  a  tree  where  not  one  has  grown 
before,  is  a  public  benefactor."  This  thought 


BURNING  OF  THE  "KATE  KEARNEY."  g 

would  occur  to  me,  while  watching  my  husband 
at  his  favorite  occupation. 

Mr.  Hancock  was  possessed  of  a  keen  sense  of 
justice,  and  followed  closely  the  golden  rule,  "  Do 
unto  others  as  you  would  be  done  by."  The 
trouble  he  would  take  to  serve  his  friends  is  illus 
trated  by  the  following  incident.  As  the  steam 
boat  Kate  Kearney  was  leaving  the  St.  Louis  wharf 
for  Alton,  the  boiler  exploded,  demolishing  the 
boat  and  killing  or  wounding  a  great  number  of 
the  passengers.  General,  then  Major,  Don  Carlos 
Buell  was  among  the  latter,  and  was  at  first 
reported  fatally  injured.  This  was  a  great  shock 
to  my  husband,  as  he  had  the  highest  respect  and 
admiration  for  General  Buell,  having  served  on 
the  same  staff.  He  went  to  the  hotel  at  once, 
and  found  the  General  so  seriously  injured  as  to 
be  scarcely  recognizable.  He  also  learned  that 
through  the  gallantry  and  personal  exertions  of 
Buell  and  another  gentleman,  the  flames  had  been 
held  in  check  and  many  persons  saved  from  a 
frightful  death.  Considering  his  mutilated  con 
dition  at  the  time,  General  Buell's  conduct  was 
heroic  in  the  highest  degree,  and  Mr.  Hancock 
deemed  it  worthy  of  more  appropriate  and  fitting 
mention  than  was  accorded  by  any  of  the  daily 
papers.  Thinking  that  it  might  be  an  oversight, 
he  went  to  the  editor  of  the  St.  Louis  Republican, 


!O  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

the  leading  paper  of  that  day,  called  his  attention 
to  the  facts,  and  was  promised  a  speedy  and 
special  mention  of  the  circumstances.  The  prom 
ise,  however,  was  not  fulfilled,  the  editor  apparent 
ly  concluding  that  enough  had  been  written  upon 
the  subject.  Not  so  with  Mr.  Hancock.  He  was 
determined  that  something  appropriate  should 
be  said,  and  thereupon  wrote  the  following 
article,  and  had  it  published  in  the  editorial 
column  : 

"  As  a  matter  of  justice  to  a  gallant  gentleman,  now  on  a  bed 
of  suffering,  it  should  be  known  that  after  the  explosion  occurred 
on  board  of  the  Kate  Kearney,  nothing  saved  the  boat  from  being 
entirely  destroyed  by  fire,  and  with  it  other  boats  in  the  vicin 
ity,  but  the  personal  exertions  of  Major  Buell,  United  States 
Army,  assisted  by  another  gentleman  whose  name  is  unknown. 
They  continued  to  throw  water  on  the  fire,  which  had  broken 
forth  in  two  places,  until  the  arrival  of  the  fire-engines,  which 
were  enabled  to  reduce  the  flames,  so  manfully  kept  at  bay.  It 
is  certain  that  several  persons  who  were  wounded,  if  not  others, 
who  are  now  alive,  would  have  perished  but  for  such  prompt  and 
efficient  action.  In  times  of  danger,  presence  of  mind  in  a  sol 
dier  is  expected  ;  but  it  is  thought  that  under  the  circumstances 
Major  Buell's  conduct  deserves  especial  notice,  he  having  been 
previously  so  injured  by  the  explosion  that  for  some  time  after 
wards  his  life  was  despaired  of." 

Since  that  time  General  Buell,  by  his  greater 
achievements  upon  a  larger  and  grander  field,  has 
sustained  the  remarkable  qualities  that  distin 
guished  him  upon  this  occasion. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Life  at  the  Barracks — Thrilling  and  amusing  anecdotes — Volun 
teer  mode  of  conducting  a  court-martial — Jack  the  Bean-killer 
— Cholera  at  the  Barracks — Self-Protection  on  the  Mississippi 
— General  Twiggs  and  Major  Banks. 

/^\UR  garrison  life  at  the  barracks  was  generally 
quiet  and  uneventful.  Our  evenings  were 
enlivened  by  social  gatherings,  and  such  amus 
ing  raconteurs  as  Major  Page,  Captains  Kirkham, 
McDowell,  Gibson  and  others,  who  improved  these 
opportunities  to  fight  their  battles  over  again.  A 
few  years  only  had  elapsed  since  the  close  of  the 
Mexican  War,  and  field  experiences  were  yet  fresh 
in  their  minds.  I  have  listened  to  many  amusing 
and  thrilling  anecdotes,  of  which  I  can  now  recall 
but  a  few. 

One  of  our  officers  had  entered  the  service  in 
1846  as  a  sergeant  of  volunteers.  His  account  of 
the  volunteer  mode  of  conducting  courts-martial 
was  very  funny,  being  in  such  contrast  to  the  rigid 
discipline  existing  in  the  regular  Army.  In  utter 
ignorance  of  the  proper  rules  of  procedure,  they 
conformed  as  closely  as  possible  to  their  knowl- 


I  2  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

edge  and  recollection  of  the  Civil  Courts  of 
Tennessee,  in  which  State  the  regiment  specially 
referred  to  had  been  raised.  On  opening  the  court, 
the  crier,  a  soldier,  would  go  to  the  front  of  the 
tent  and  cry:  "O!  yes:  O!  yes:  O!  yes:  The 
Honorable  Court  is  now  assembled  pursuant  to  an 
adjournment ! "  The  method  of  summoning  a  wit 
ness  was  also  unique.  The  crier  would  go  out  in 
front  of  the  tent  and  call  in  a  loud  voice :  "  Peter 
Mullin,  Esquire:  you  are  requested  to  draw  nigh 
this  court."  Not  infrequently  was  the  honorable 
court  subjected  to  rough  handling  by  the  friends 
of  the  prisoner,  who  would  turn  out  in  large 
numbers  and  stone  the  tent  in  which  the  trial  was 
being  held. 

A  regular  officer's  experience  with  the  Arkansas 
volunteers  was  equally  amusing.  A  court-martial, 
composed  entirely  of  volunteer  officers,  wras  as 
sembled  for  the  trial  of  an  orderly-sergeant 
charged  with  stabbing  a  regular  soldier.  The 
regular  officer,  being  in  command,  had  loaned  the 
court  Macomb's  work  on  courts-martial,  in  order 
that  some  system  might  be  observed  in  the  con 
duct  of  the  trial.  On  visiting  the  court-room  to 
see  how  they  were  progressing,  the  president  of 
the  court  apologized  for  the  doors  being  shut, 
saying  that  he  knew  the  book  said  the  court 
should  sit  with  open  doors,  but  as  the  weather  was 


PRIMITIVE  COURTS-MARTIAL.  13 

very  cold  they  had  ventured  to  close  them.  The 
prisoner  had  removed  his  coat,  and  in  his  shirt 
sleeves  was  walking  up  and  down  the  room,  shak 
ing  his  fist  in  the  witness's  face,  denying  in  forc 
ible  language  all  that  the  witness  had  said,  and 
forbidding  the  court  to  enter  it  on  the  record. 
The  members  of  the  court  would  interfere  by  say 
ing  :  "Now,  John,  don't,  don't ;  we  will  make  it  all 
right,"  and  other  soothing  expressions.  The  court- 
martial  room  contained  a  jug  of  whiskey,  from 
which  all  might  imbibe  at  pleasure,  and  the  mem 
bers  of  the  court,  as  well  as  the  prisoner,  had  pipes 
in  their  mouths.  The  next  morning  after  adjourn 
ment  the  president  of  the  court  came  to  the 
commanding  officer  and  said  that  John  had  been 
found  guilty,  and  that  he  had  advised  him  to 
leave;  and  in  an  injured  tone  he  added,  "Sure 
enough,  he  has  gone,  and  stolen  one  of  our  best 
horses."  This  man  was  a  strong  candidate  for  the 
captaincy  of  his  company,  and  was  distinguished 
for  having  killed  three  men  before  entering  the 
service. 

Many  other  good  stories  of  a  similar  character 
were  given  upon  different  occasions,  but  are 
doomed  to  oblivion  in  consequence  of  my  faulty 
memory.  With  few,  very  few,  exceptions,  the 
recounters  have  passed  beyond  this  veil.  Still, 
there  are  individuals  left  who  by  their  misapplica- 


14  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

tion  of  established  phrases  and  miscalling  of  words 
afford  constant  amusement  to  those  around  them, 
though  most  efficient  and  capable  officers.  I  bear 
in  mind  one  or  two  extraordinary  characters  whom 
I  knew  long  ago,  whose  original  expressions  are 
beyond  compare,  and  should  have  been  caught  up 
and  preserved  for  future  generations.  One  of  the 
gentlemen  would  insist  always  upon  thanking 
God  for  at  last  "reaching  visa-versa,"  whenever 
he  escaped  from  a  tight  place  either  on  land  or 
water,  and  was  permitted  to  stand  securely  again 
upon  terra  firma.  And  "things  would  grow" 
(in  his  opinion,  if  properly  cared  for),  "  just  like 
Jack  the  bean-killer."  Few  things  created  a  great 
er  disturbance  in  his  mind  than  to  be  impaneled 
upon  a  jury,  especially  when  "he  knew  nothing 
of  the  case."  He  would  say,  "I  told  him  that  it 
was  no  use  my  going,  as  I  knew  nothing  of  the 
case."  So  I  could  go  on  until  the  end  of  the 
chapter. 

The  feeling  was  so  strong  among  the  Mexicans 
against  our  volunteers,  that  had  we  lost  a  battle 
all  the  captured  volunteers  \vould  have  been 
murdered.  Not  so  with  the  regulars.  In  conse 
quence  of  this  well-knowTn  fact  volunteers  were 
anxious  to  get  regular  clothing  at  any  price.  One 
of  our  officers,  who  served  through  the  Mexican 
War  as  a  volunteer,  paid  $7  for  a  forage  cap,  the 


CHOLERA  A  T  JEFFERSON  BARRACKS.  \  5 

price  of  which  when  new  was  but  ninety  cents; 
and  he  subsequently  gloried  in  a  complete  suit 
purchased  at  corresponding  rates.  He  was  the 
envy  of  his  less  fortunate  companions,  who  made 
frequent  raids  upon  his  wardrobe. 

Cholera  was  at  this  time  epidemic  in  St.  Louis 
and  Jefferson  Barracks.  We  lost  many  men  in  our 
garrison  daily,  who  were  carried  silently  to  their 
graves  at  nightfall  in  one  wagon,  in  order  to  pre 
vent  a  panic,  which  needed  but  the  slightest  pre 
text  to  burst  forth.  Several  officers  fell  victims  to 
this  dread  disease,  while  others  who  were  attacked 
were  fortunate  enough  to  recover.  Athletic  sports, 
theatrical  entertainments,  shooting-matches,  and 
every  conceivable  diversion  were  instituted  to 
make  the  poor  fellows  forget ;  but  the  gloom  could 
not  be  dispelled.  Few  of  those  who  entered  the 
hospital  ever  left  it  alive.  Their  doom  was  inevi 
table.  The  surgeon  in  charge,  though  attentive 
when  present,  was  unfortunate  in  his  treatment. 
Moreover,  his  duties  required  him  to  visit  the 
arsenal  and  recruiting  rendezvous,  twelve  miles  dis 
tant,  once  a  day,  which  left  us  practically  without 
medical  attendance.  Mr.  Hancock  kept  on  hand 
a  "  cholera  specific"  in  large  quantities,  which,  if 
applied  in  time,  was  esteemed  infallible ;  and  I  can 
testify  that  our  quarters  were  fairly  besieged  by 
the  soldiers,  who  pleaded  with  my  husband  not  to 


1 6  REMINISCENCES  OF  W2NFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


THE  REV.    W.   G.    ELIOT,    D.    D. 


EXCHANGING  STATEROOMS.  ij 

send  them  to  the  hospital.     Of  those  who  came  to 
us  in  season  the  majority  recovered. 

In  the  midst  of  this  terrible  scourge  Mr.  Han 
cock  was  ordered  to  St.  Paul  with  recruits.  His 
experience  was  such  as  few  have  been  called  upon 
to  record.  He  lost  many  of  his  men  from  cholera 
during1  the  journey,  who  were  buried  at  once  on 
some  lonely  sandbank  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
Yet  to  every  picture  there  are  two  sides,  and  the 
journey  had  rather  an  amusing  feature,  except  to 
the  unwary  victim.  The  day  after  starting,  one 
of  the  boilers  of  the  boat  began  to  leak,  and  show 
other  signs  of  weakness — not  an  unusual  occur 
rence  in  those  days,  but  one  that  occasioned  some 
uneasiness  among  the  passengers.  Upon  inquiry 
as  to  whether  the  boat  was  considered  safe,  the 
captain  replied,  "  Perfectly."  But  on  the  same 
afternoon  he  approached  Mr.  Hancock,  who  had  a 
stateroom  in  the  rear  of  the  boat,  saying  that  he 
\vas  quite  sick,  and  would  deem  it  a  favor  if  he 
would  exchange  staterooms  with  him  for  a  few 
days,  complaining  that  his  was  a  very  noisy  one, 
directly  over  the  boilers.  Not  suspecting  the 
motive,  Mr.  Hancock  readily  acquiesced.  Days 
passed,  finally  a  week  went  by,  and  though  the 
captain  was  about,  and  appeared  in  his  usual  con 
dition  of  health,  the  journey  came  to  an  end  before 
he  felt  able  to  restore  to  its  owner  the  safe  and 


1 8  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

quiet  quarters  that  had  been  so  generously  yielded 
up.  The  ruse  was  considered  a  capital  joke  by  all 
but  the  inexperienced  soldier,  who  was  not  famil 
iar  with  the  wily  manoeuvres  of  the  Mississippi 
captain — one  of  a  class  who,  as  a  rule,  are  obliging 
and  courteous,  but  who  understand  very  wreli  the 
art  of  self-protection. 

During  this  memorable  trip  a  disquieting  rumor 
reached  Mr.  Hancock  to  the  effect  that  the  several 
companies  of  his  regiment  (the  Sixth  Infantry) 
had  been  ordered  to  concentrate  at  Jefferson  Bar 
racks  preparatory  to  service  in  California.  This 
was  considered  very  hard,  as  at  that  time  the  facil 
ities  for  reaching  the  Pacific  coast  were  not  such  as 
they  are  to-day,  and  the  possible  separation  of 
officers  from  their  families  was  to  many  a  sad 
reflection.  After  the  concentration  of  the  regi 
ment,  General  Clark  was  relieved  of  the  com 
mand  of  the  Department  of  the  West  by  Gen 
eral  Twiggs,  and  ordered  to  assume  command 
of  Jefferson  Barracks  and  of  the  cavalry  depot, 
which  had  hitherto  been  a  separate  command, 
although  a  part  of  the  same  garrison.  In  the 
absence  of  a  regular  Adjutant-General,  Mr.  Han 
cock  was  asked  by  Gefieral  Twiggs  to  act  in 
that  capacity  until  Major  Winship,  Assistant 
Adjutant-General,  should  arrive.  This  he  con 
sented  to  do,  provided  he  was  not  required  to 


GENERAL  TWIGGS' S  MODE  OF  ADDRESS.  ig 

visit  St.  Louis,  twelve  miles  away,  oftener  than 
three  times  a  week,  as  he  was  then  acting  regi 
mental  and  post  adjutant.  He  found  General 
Twiggs  a  very  agreeable  officer  to  serve  under,  so 
long  as  no  offense  was  given  him,  otherwise  he 
had  a  mode  of  address  peculiar  to  himself,  which 
was  very  effectual,  and  afforded  much  amusement 
to  those  around  him.  For  example  :  A  very  pom  - 
pous,  self-sufficient  officer  (so  considered  by  Gen 
eral  Twiggs),  having  failed  to  pay  his  respects  as 
promptly  as  etiquette  required,  the  General  took 
occasion  to  visit  this  remissness  upon  him,  when 
granting  a  leave  of  absence  which  this  officer  had 
asked  for.  When  his  adjutant  called  attention  to 
the  issuing  of  the  order  for  this  leave,  General 
Twiggs  handed  him  a  rough  copy  of  one  prepared 
by  himself,  which  read :  "  Commissary  Major 
Banks,"  etc.,  a  very  unusual  form,  and  so  discour 
teous  that  the  adjutant  made  an  effort  to  excuse 
the  officer  by  representing  to  the  General  all  that 
he  had  heard  of  his  intention  of  calling  upon  the 
commanding  general,  and  the  cause  of  his  delay. 
After  listening  attentively,  General  Twiggs  re 
plied,  "  Yes,  I  once  heard  a  preacher  say  that  a 
very  bad  place  was  paved  with  good  intentions," 
and  remarked  at  the  same  time,  "  To  operate  upon 
a  wound,  you  must  know  your  patient.  If  I  know 
anything,  it  is  human  nature.  I  have  designated 


20  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Major  Banks  in  this  manner  because  I  know  he 
will  feel  it,"  and  the  order  was  published  without 
alteration. 

General  Twiggs  was  dissatisfied  with  his  station 
in  St.  Louis,  and  very  soon  applied  for  permission 
to  remove  his  headquarters  to  Fort  Smith,  Arkan 
sas.  The  Secretary  replied  that  such  a  removal 
would  not  be  in  the  interests  of  the  service,  but 
on  account  of  General  Twiggs's  distinguished 
record,  he  was  finally  allowed  to  make  the 
desired  change.  The  General  availed  himseJJ  of 
this  permission,  and  General  Clark  again  assumed 
command  of  the  Department,  and  relinquished 
the  command  of  the  post  to  Colonel  Sumner. 

The  Sixth  Infantry  was  then  under  orders  to 
proceed  to  California,  but  about  the  same  time 
General  Clark  received  orders  to  suspend  the 
movement  of  the  regiment.  This  announcement 
disturbed  the  command,  not  so  much  at  the  possi 
ble  change  of  destination  as  the  dread  of  delay, 
for  all  were  packed  and  ready  for  the  start.  It 
turned  out  that  we  remained  in  this  state,  endur 
ing  every  discomfort,  from  November  27,  1854, 
until  April  18,  1.855. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Concentration  of  troops  at  Fort  Leavenworth — General  Harney 
and  General  Clark— Correspondence  between  General  Sum- 
ner  and  Lieutenant  Hancock — Lieutenant  Hancock  made  a 
captain. 

T7  ARLY  in  the  year  1855  troubles  occurred 
with  the  Sioux  nation,  which  finally  resulted 
in  the  concentration  of  troops  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  an  expedition 
against  these  Indians.  In  April,  the  Secretary  of 
War  ordered  the  Sixth  Infantry  to  Leavenworth  to 
report  to  General  Harney,  who  had  been  placed  in 
command  of  the  expedition.  The  disappointment 
was  great  to  General  Clark  and  his  staff,  as  the 
General  thought  he  should  have  had  the  assign 
ment,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  because  he  was  the 
senior  officer.  The  order  followed  soon  after  for 
the  removal  of  headquarters  to  St.  Louis,  and  prep 
arations  were  commenced  at  once  to  effect  this 
end,  which  would  leave  Colonel  Sumner  in  com 
mand  of  the  cavalry  depot,  a  position  most  accept 
able  to  himself  and  officers,  as  there  had  always 
been  a  conflict  of  authority  between  the  Department 


22  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

and  Post  commanders.  Though  appeals  were 
constantly  made,  General  Scott's  decision  would 
always  be  in  direct  opposition  to  that  of  the  Secre 
tary  of  War.  The  difficulty  was  caused  by  the 
question  of  brevet  rank.  The  Secretary  of  War, 
Jefferson  Davis,  decided  that  the  commander  of 
the  cavalry  depot  should  also  command  Jefferson 
Barracks,  no  matter  \vhat  his  rank.  Further,  that 
if  an  emergency  arose,  which  would  make  it 
necessary  that  some  one  should  command  the 
whole,  brevet  rank  should  take  effect.  In  the 
minds  of  many  prominent  officers  this  decision 
was  clearly  illegal.  In  General  Sumner's  natural 
impatience  to  control  the  whole,  he  overstepped 
the  bounds  of  courtesy,  and  remarked  to  his  quar 
termaster,  in  the  presence  of  many  officers,  that 
General  Clark's  and  Lieutenant  Hancock's  quar 
ters  were  assignable,  and  that  any  subaltern  that 
wished  could  have  them.  This  remark  was 
reported  to  Mr.  Hancock,  whereupon  he  wrote  to 
Colonel  Sumner  the  following: 


"  SIR  :  I  am  pained  to  learn  this  morning  that  you  have  taken 
public  occasion  to  declare,  in  the  presence  of  a  number  of 
officers,  that  my  quarters  were  assignable.  I  supposed  that  mili 
tary  courtesy  and  propriety  would  have  indicated  that  if  such 
were  the  fact  an  intimation  to  me  would  have  been  the  most  pro 
per,  as  certainly  the  most  delicate,  mode  of  conveying  it.  I 
merely  wish  to  say  that  I  have  rights  here,  and  one  of  them  is  the 
privilege  of  occupying  quarters  so  long  as  I  am  on  duty.  I  am 


< 

;  ' 


L:  . 


tzn 

r  -i 


A  LIVELY  CORRESPONDENCE.  23 

on  duty  at  present,  by  order  of  General  Clark,  who  long  since 
established  the  headquarters  of  his  regiment  at  this  place,  and 
has  not  removed  them.  For  you  to  declare,  because  General 
Clark  has  been  ordered  to  St.  Louis,  that  neither  he  nor  I  (on 
duty  with  him)  are  entitled  to  quarters,  is  an  argument  that  you 
are  not  entitled  to  any  yourself,  for  you  have  orders  to  remove 
your  headquarters  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  I  had  previously 
received  an  order  to  report  for  duty  in  St.  Louis,  and  was  making 
my  preparations  to  remove  there.  I  shall  not  now  change  my 
intention  for  the  purpose  of  contesting  my  rights  to  quarters  here> 
for  it  would  be  inconvenient  to  me  ;  besides,  I  will  not  run  the 
risk  of  subjecting  myself  or  family  to  further  indelicate  treat 
ment  by  remaining  here,  but  I  have  sufficient  manliness  to  let 
you  know  that  I  resent  it. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK." 

This  letter  was  not  replied  to.  General  Clark 
also  opened  his  batteries,  sharply  and  to  the  point, 
in  defense  of  the  same  right. 

"Sm:  Heretofore  I  have  deemed  you  a  friend,  not  that  I 
have  any  claims  especially  in  that  behalf,  but  I  supposed  former 
associations  had  created  a  good  feeling,  which  I  was  disposed  to 
reciprocate.  I  am  sorry  to  entertain  a  present  opinion,  founded 
upon  a  recent  order  you  gave  orally,  as  I  am  informed,  in  rela 
tion  to  the  quarters  I  have  occupied,  as  well  as  those  occupied  by 
my  adjutant,  that  I  have  been  mistaken. 

"I  am,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"N.  S.  CLARK." 

In  reply  General  Sumner  sent  the  following  : 

"GENERAL:  I  have  received  your  note.  When  one  of  my 
officers  walked  into  my  office  yesterday  morning  and  presented 
himself  as  your  adjutant,  and  handed  me  your  order  assuming 
command  of  this  post  without  my  having  received  from  you  the 
slightest  intimation  of  any  such  intention,  I  could  not  but  feel 


24  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 

that  you  were  treating  me  with  great  indelicacy,  more  especially 
as  your  right  to  assume  the  command  after  your  regiment  had 
been  removed,  and  you  had  no  men  here  but  a  sergeant-major 
and  two  or  three  sick  men,  was,  to  say  the  least,  very  question 
able.  At  all  events,  it  would  have  been  questioned  and  carried  to 
higher  authority,  if  I  had  not  received  a  prospective  order  to 
establish  the  headquarters  of  my  regiment  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth.  I  regret  this  affair  altogether ;  it  was  unnecessary 
between  officers  who  have  known  each  other  as  long  as  we 
have. 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"E.  V.  SUMNER." 

In  reply,  General  Clark  said  : 

"  COLONEL:  I  have  received  your  note,  and  answer  by  saying 
that  I  came  here  under  the  orders  of  General  Twiggs,  and  assumed 
command  accordingly.  My  occupancy  of  quarters  until  I  have 
time  to  vacate  has  nothing  to  do  with  your  views  of  my  mode  of 
assumption  of  command. 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"N.  S.  CLARK." 

Other  spicy  notes  were  exchanged,  until  it  was 
evident  to  General  Clark  that  it  must  cease.  A 
continuation  would  only  separate  them  further,  and 
the  result,  otherwise,  would  be  the  same.  After 
a  short  time,  the  friendly  intercourse  between 
Colonel  Sumner  and  my  husband  was  resumed, 
without  any  diminution  of  the  admiration  which 
Mr.  Hancock  felt  for  that  brave,  strong  sol 
dier,  and  which  was  augmented  during  the  last 
war. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  1855,  Mr.  Hancock 
was  appointed  captain  in  the  Quartermaster's  De- 


APPOINTED  A  CAPTAIN. 


25 


partment.  In  default  of  getting  an  appointment 
in  the  Adjutant-General's  Department,  which  had 
been  promised,  his  friends  advised  the  next  best 
thing-  ;  but  the  disappointment  was  great,  as  he 
very  much  disliked  quartermaster  duties.  He 
could  not  afford  to  decline  promotion,  however, 
having  been  a  lieutenant  for  nearly  twelve  years. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Ordered  to  Florida — Troubles  with  the  Seminole  Indians — Service 
in  the  Everglades — An  exciting  row  down  the  river — A  sentry 
shoots  his  friend — General  Harney's  negro — Threatening  to 
hang  the  pappooses — Russell  Hancock's  intercession — Birth 
of  Ada  Hancock. 

T^EBRUARY,  1856,  brought  an  order  from 
Adjutant-General  Jessup  to  Mr.  Hancock  to 
proceed  without 'delay  to  Florida  for  duty,  which 
he  immediately  obeyed,  taking  his  family  with 
him,  not  knowing  until  he  reached  Fort  Myers,  on 
the  Caloosahatchee  River,  twenty  miles  from  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  that  hostilities  were  imminent 
between  the  United  States  troops  and  the  Semi 
nole  Indians.  Shortly  after  our  arrival,  General 
Harney  was  ordered  to  relieve  Colonel  Harvey 
Brown,  whom  he  found  there  in  command,  and 
active  operations  were  commenced  at  once.  The 
duties  of  garrison  quartermaster  were  quite  famil 
iar  to  Mr.  Hancock,  but  the  supplying  of  troops  in 
the  field,  under  such  perplexing  circumstances, 
was  extremely  difficult,  unquestionably  arduous, 

and  involved  serious  and  unaccustomed  response 

36 


SECURING  A  COW. 


bilities;  these,  however,  he  overcame  with  appar 
ent  ease,  and  entire  satisfaction  to  each  and  every 
one  in  authority. 

The  departure  of  Colonel  Harvey  Brown  and  his 
agreeable  family  for  an  Eastern  station  left  me  the 
only  lady  at  the  post.  To  many  this  might  have 
been  a  deplorable  experience,  cut  off  as  we  were 
from  civilization,  and  suffering  all  the  inconveni 
ences  and  discomforts  of  a  frontier  station.  Our 
mail  came  from  Tampa  Bay  in  a  sailboat,  and, 
wind  and  wave  permitting,  was  received  once  a 
week.  Commissary  stores  and  other  supplies 
came  in  the  same  way,  and  on  one  occasion,  when 
the  boat  capsized  with  a  load  of  these  stores,  we 
were  without  some  of  the  necessaries  of  life  for 
six  weeks.  Gail  Borden  was  unknown  then,  and 
milk  could  only  be  obtained  from  the  half-starved, 
miserable  Florida  cows.  Fort  Myers  could  not 
boast  such  an  animal,  and  Mr.  Hancock  made 
four  separate  attempts  before  we  could  secure  this 
luxury.  The  first  cow  strayed  from  the  herd  dur 
ing  the  overland  journey,  and  never  reached  us; 
the  second  came  by  sea,  and  while  being  landed 
at  the  dock  fell  overboard  and  broke  her  neck; 
the  third  was  safely  landed,  but  wandered  into  a 
quicksand  on  the  day  of  her  arrival  and  so  was 
lost.  Persistency  was  finally  rewarded,  and  the 
fourth  attempt  was  successful. 


28  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Such  were  some  of  the  inconveniences  of  our 
life  in  Florida,  yet  I  experience  much  happiness  in 
reflecting  upon  those  days,  since  through  my 
presence,  my  generous,  hospitable  husband  was 
enabled  to  alleviate  in  many  ways  the  sufferings 
of  our  poor  men  and  officers,  who  were  brought 
back  from  their  hard,  inglorious  service  in  the 
Everglades  wounded  bv  Indian  bullets  or  ill  unto 

O  j 

death  with  swamp  fever.  Our  bright,  cheery 
home  became  a  rendezvous  for  officers,  who 
gladly  acknowledged  it  to  be  an  oasis  in  that 
desolate  spot,  and  who  frequently  said  that  with 
out  this  trysting-place  they  would  have  been 
driven  to  extremities  in  their  search  for  diversion. 
How  many  times  since  have  I  felt  repaid  for  the 
deprivations  endured  there,  by  grateful  assurances 
from  some  of  the  gentlemen,  who  have  never  for 
gotten  what  a  comfort  our  home  was  to  them. 

When  the  troops  were  concentrating  for  service 
in  the  Everglades,  they  encamped  about  one  mile 
from  Fort  Meyers,  there  not  being  sufficient  quar 
ters  for  either  officers  or  men  at  the  post.  During 
the  rainy  season  the  storms  were  frequently  so 
severe  and  so  prolonged  that  no  fires  could  be 
lighted  or  cooking  be  done  in  camp.  This  was 
especially  the  case  during  the  cold  "  northers" 
peculiar  to  that  time  of  the  year.  Pork  for  the 
men  was  cooked  in  the  fort,  while  the  officers 


BOA  TING  UNDER  DIFFICUL  TIES.  2  g 

fared  as  best  they  could.  During  this  time  I  kept 
open  house,  and  the  table  was  always  stretched  to 
its  full  capacity.  The  officers  drew  lots  for  this 
privilege,  and  chance  decided  who  should  be  our 
guests  at  breakfast,  luncheon  and  dinner. 

The  probable,  or  at  least  possible,  proximity  of 
the  Indians  confined  us  closely  to  the  post.  Our 
constitutionals  were  limited  to  a  long  wharf  pro 
jecting  far  out  into  the  river.  No  other  walks 
were  permitted,  and  riding  was  out  of  the  ques 
tion.  The  river,  however,  afforded  another  diver 
sion,  and  we  often  embarked  on  the  current  of 
the  stream  in  a  well-manned  barge,  and  with  the 
oarsmen  well  armed.  On  several  occasions  Ind 
ians  were  discovered  on  the  bank,  and  by  Mr. 
Hancock's  direction  I,  with  my  son  Russell, 
would  lie  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  in 
which  position  we  were  covered  with  a  heavy 
rubber  blanket.  In  one  case  the  amusing  dis 
covery  was  afterwards  made  that  the  stalwart 
Indians  in  their  flaming  red  blankets  were  noth 
ing  but  poor  flamingoes,  innocent  of  any  evil 
intent,  and  occupied  only  with  efforts  to  secure  a 
dinner. 

The  monotony  of  garrison  life  was  occasionally 
relieved  by  the  startling  sound  of  the  long  roll 
beaten  at  midnight,  as  a  signal  of  attack  (or  sup 
posed  attack)  from  the  Indians.  Preparations 


30  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

were  immediately  begun  for  a  transfer  to  the 
block-house,  and  this  was  to  be  accomplished  in 
the  dark,  as  the  orders  prohibiting  light  in  quar 
ters  were  imperative.  To  meet  such  emergency 
required  unusual  preparation  before  retiring  each 
night.  One  experience  of  this  novel  kind  made 
all  arrangements  plain  to  the  uninitiated.  The 
alarm  in  every  case  proved  to  be  false,  occasioned 
by  some  intoxicated  soldier's  effort  to  pass  the 
guard  in  Indian  style,  on  hands  and  knees,  under 
the  sentry-boxes,  which  were  suspended  ten, 
twelve,  or  more  feet  above  ground.  Every  at 
tempt  was  attended  with  loss  of  life  to  those  poor 
creatures.  One  of  the  sentries,  a  most  worthy 
man,  killed  his  best  friend  in  this  way,  w^hich  so 
preyed  upon  his  mind  as  to  unfit  him  ever 
afterwards  for  service,  and  his  discharge  was 
recommended.  He  would  desert  his  post  when 
on  guard,  asserting  that  his  dead  friend  appeared 
to  him  reproachfully,  and  he  could  not  understand 
why  others  could  not  see  what  to  him  was  so 
real. 

General  Barney's  historically  energetic  mode  of 
expressing  himself  when  any  offense,  real  or  im 
agined,  called  for  rebuke,  was,  to  say  the  least, 
exhaustive,  and  left  no  room  for  doubts  as 
to  his  exact  meaning.  When  his  attention  was 
called  to  the  possibility  that  my  ear  might  be 


RESUSCITA  TING  A  NEGRO.  3  I 

offended  by  such  vigorous  demonstrations,  he 
would  at  once  pay  his  respects,  and  offer,  in  the 
courteous  and  deferential  manner  which  invaria 
bly  characterized  him  in  the  presence  of  ladies, 
profound  apologies  for  thus  offending  ;  impressing 
upon  me  at  the  same  time  the  utter  impossibility 
of  doing  otherwise,  because  he  could  not  reach 
"  those  fellows  "  by  using  any  other  phraseology. 
A  memorable  and  amusing  incident  occurred 
that  demonstrated  his  general  knowledge  of  hu 
man  nature,  and  his  ever-ready  resources  to  meet 
any  occasion.  In  his  employ  was  a  tall,  stalwart 
negro,  who  had  been  tempted  at  intervals  to  pur 
loin  a  quantity  of  the  General's  wine,  and  who 
merited  well  the  penalty  that  awaited  him,  should 
detection  follow,  as  it  ultimately  did.  His  alarm 
was  so  great  that  he  plunged  into  the  bay,  tak 
ing  good  care,  .however,  to  keep  in  sight  of  those 
who  he  knew  would  come  to  his  rescue.  In  this  way 
he  hoped  to  excite  the  sympathy  of  every  one,  the 
General  included.  The  poor  creature  was  soon 
taken  out  of  the  water,  apparently  unconscious 
and  nearly  dead.  The  usual  restoratives  were 
resorted  to,  such  as  rolling  him  over  a  barrel,  etc., 
but  with  little  success,  until  the  General  appeared, 
with  others  who  had  been  attracted  to  the  spot. 
He  soon  took  in  the  situation,  and  ordered  the 
men  to  bring  him  a  heavy  barrel  stave,  to  desist 


32  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

from  their  own  efforts,  and  let  him  try  a  remedy 
which  had  never  failed  in  such  cases.  Suiting  the 
action  to  the  word,  he  commenced  applying  the 
stave  to  the  poor  negro's  back,  and  soon  brought 
forth  wild  yells  for  mercy.  When  the  General  was 
satisfied  of  his  perfect  restoration,  he  ceased  his 
applications,  and  remarked,  "  You  will  not  try  to 
drown  yourself  very  soon  again  ;  hey  ? "  And 
he  did  not  make  a  second  attempt. 

A  little  episode  worth  repeating,  occurred  upon 
one  occasion  during  a  council  of  war,  when  Gen 
eral  Harney  ordered  the  captured  Indian  women 
to  appear  before  him  for  the  purpose  of  extorting 
from  these  frightened  creatures  the  secret  abode 
in  the  Everglades  of  Billy  Bowlegs  and  his  follow 
ers  ;  information,  by  the  way,  that  he  was  never 
able  to  obtain  from  those  faithful  squaws,  though 
harsh  measures  were  resorted  to.  Our  little  son 
Russell,  then  four  years  of  age,  was  sitting  with 
his  father  in  the  midst  of  this  august  body,  listen 
ing  with  bated  breath  to  General  Barney's  threat, 
given  through  an  interpreter,  of  hanging  the  pap- 
pooses,  w7ho  were  playing  at  the  feet  of  their  moth 
ers  unconscious  of  any  danger.  Unable  longer 
to  endure  the  suspense,  especially  when  the  General 
brought  forth  a  formidable  looking  rope,  which 
Russell  thought  was  being  used  in  a  very  reck 
less  way,  he  sprang  from  his  seat  and  commenced 


LIEUTENANT   HANCOCK    AND  HIS   SON    RUSSELL. 


34  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

pleading  piteously  for  the  lives  of  the  little  Indian 
babies.  Finding  the  General  inexorable,  he  final 
ly  gave  it  up,  and  in  deepest  grief  exclaimed, 
"  Well,  if  you  will  hang  them,  please  give  me  their 
bows  and  arrows."  This  was  too  much  for  the 
equanimity  of  the  council,  and  too  much  human 
nature  not  to  suggest  the  never-failing  old  adage, 
"  It  is  an  ill  wind  that  blowrs  nobody  good."  The 
General  remarked  afterwards,  "  That  boy  spoilt 
all  our  fun,  and  we  had  to  give  it  up  until  another 
time." 

In  this  forsaken  country,  prodigal  only  in  the 
number  and  variety  of  venomous  snakes  and 
insects  of  every  kind,  our  sweet  child  Ada  was 
born — "  sole  daughter  of  our  house  and  home." 
How  proudly  the  father  always  spoke  of  her,  in 
his  loving  way,  and  how  often  he  expressed  his 
satisfaction  "  that  all  things  had  gone  well  with  us, 
and  we  had  many  inducements  to  make  life 
worth  living,  and  painful  to  give  up."  Tis  well  the 
waiting  shadows  had  not  yet  grown  from  out  the 
gathering  darkness. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Ordered  back  to  Fort  Leavenworth — Trouble  in  Kansas — Benden 
becomes  noted  as  a  pugilist — Starting  for  Utah— Captain 
Hancock's  Journal — Ordered  to  Benecia,  Cal. — Twenty-one 
hundred  miles  on  mule-back — Anecdote  of  a  mule — Incidents 
of  the  long  journey — Vigilantes  and  Anti-Vigilantes  —  Why 
General  Hancock  preferred  the  Infantry. 

'THHE  troubles  in  Florida  had  been  practically 
settled,  when  General  Harney  was  trans 
ferred  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kas.,  where  disturb 
ances  of  a  serious  nature  were  anticipated.  Soon 
after,  he  applied  for  Mr.  Hancock  to  join  him, 
who  rejoiced  to  turn  his  back  upon  the  dis 
comforts  and  unrestful  life  which  had  been  ours, 
during  fifteen  months  of  toil  and  anxious  .watch 
fulness  in  which  he  was  involved  throughout  the 
time  that  military  operations  were  in  progress. 
He  joined  the  troops  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  serving 
in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  until  March 
31,  1858,  when  he  was  ordered  to  accompany 
General  Harney's  expedition  to  Utah,  where  com 
plications  had  arisen  between  the  Mormons  and 
the  Gentiles. 

Life  at  Fort   Leavenworth   during  the  time  of 
the   Kansas  trouble  was  not  without  interest  or 

35 


36  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

novelty.  Partisan  feeling  ran  high,  and  those 
not  in  sympathy  with  armed  Federal  interference 
were  bitter  against  us  all,  placing  everyone  upon 
the  defensive  for  self-protection.  Few  ventured 
into  the  little  town  of  Leavenworth  without 
encountering  some  adventure.  Not  being  a  timid 
woman,  fortunately,  the  novel  experience  was 
rather  pleasing  than  otherwise.  My  husband  did 
not  permit  me  to  go  unarmed  into  the  town,  but 
relied  upon  the  courage  and  strength  of  our  sturdy 
Irish  coachman,  Benden,  to  protect  me  against  the 
annoyances,  petty  in  themselves,  that  were  prac 
ticed  upon  others.  On  several  occasions  Benden 
was  forced  to  come  to  my  rescue,  and  quick  retri 
butive  justice  was  the  meed  of  the  offenders,  until 
his  fame  and  presence  guaranteed  an  absolute  right 
of  way  in  all  directions  and  under  all  circum 
stances.  A  repetition  of  similar  annoyances  oc 
curred  at  Weston,  Mo.,  a  little  town  eight  miles 
north  of  Leavenworth,  which  gave  Benden  other 
opportunities  of  displaying  his  pugilistic  abilities. 
These  little  episodes  helped  to  give  spice  to  our 
otherwise  monotonous  life. 

Many  w^ere  the  incidents  crowded  into  that 
eventful  winter  ;  too  many,  indeed,  to  record ; 
but,  perhaps,  if  its  history  should  ever  be  written, 
the  survivors,  many  of  whom  became  eminent  on 
both  sides  during  the  late  war,  will  recall  the 


CHANGING  QUARTERS.  37 

charm  of  that  garrison,  where  the  cream  of  our 
Army  in  every  branch  of  the  service  had  gathered 
to  organize  and  equip  for  the  expedition  which 
the  troubles  in  Utah  made  necessary.  During  the 
concentration  of  troops  the  garrison  was  fre 
quently  thrown  into  confusion  by  one  officer  tak 
ing  precedence  over  another  in  the  selection  of 
quarters.  On  one  occasion  it  amounted  to  a  ten- 
strike,  the  one  ball  prostrating  the  whole,  and 
changing  the  homes  of  twenty  families.  Mr.  Han 
cock  was  made  the  exception  in  the  great  up 
heaval — a  forcible  illustration  of  the  advantage 
of  "  casting  your  bread  upon  the  waters,"  etc. 
The  members  of  the  regiment  with  which  we 
had  served  in  Florida,  that  had  been  ordered 
to  Leavenworth  from  the  South  to  join  the 
expedition  to  Utah,  and  which  had  caused  so 
much  unintentional  discomfort,  felt  that  the 
opportunity  had  arrived  when  they  could  mani 
fest  their  gratitude  for  past  favors.  They  resolved 
that  we  should  not  be  disturbed,  and  that  the  first 
man  who  made  any  demonstration  in  that  direc 
tion  should  be  drummed  out  of  the  regiment. 
This  decision  was  formally  announced  to  me  by  a 
committee  of  officers,  headed  by  Colonel  William 
Morris,  who  long  ago,  with  many  of  his  gallant 
soldiers,  rendered  up  his  last  account. 

Early  in  May  Brigadier-General  Albert  Sidney 


^8  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

«_) 

Johnson  started,  with  an  advanced  detachment, 
for  Utah,  followed  by  General  Harney  with  rein 
forcements.  Mr.  Hancock  accompanied  this  last 
detachment  as  quartermaster.  Many  of  the  ladies 
followed  their  husbands  as  far  as  the  first  day's 
march  (fifteen  miles  from  Leavenworth)  before 
bidding"  them  a  final  adieu.  The  following  ex 
tract  is  from  Mr.  Hancock's  journal,  written  before 
retiring  after  reaching  the  first  encampment:  "I 
now  feel  sad  enough.  We  are  en  route,  indeed,  and 
I  am  finally  separated  from  my  wife  and  children, 
and  yet  I  feel  that  our  expedition  will  probably 
result  in  nothing,  and  we  will  return  this  fall.  I 
was  thoughtful  enough  to  put  some  ice  in  an  old 
trunk  which  I  found  in  my  attic  quarters.  It  car 
ried  well,  and  after  reaching  camp  I  sent  some  to 
each  mess,  keeping  enough  for  one  occasion. 
General  Johnson,  by  way  of  returning1  what  he 
considered  a  favor,  produced  a  bottle  of  cham 
pagne,  which,  with  ice,  was  quite  a  luxury  when 
the  thermometer  had  stood  at  90°  during  the  day. 
I  retired  at  8  o'clock,  and  felt  like  sleeping,  but 
have  not  been  able  to.  The  novelty  of  sleeping 
in  a  tent,  which  I  have  not  done  for  so  long1  a 
time,  and  the  luxurious  habits  I  have  fostered, 
seemed  to  unfit  me  for  sleep  in  the  camp.  So 
here  I  am,  some  hours  after  midnight,  inscribing 
my  new  situation." 


ORDERED  TO  CALIFORNIA. 


39 


His  journal,  which  faithfully  recorded  on  that 
long  march  the  difficulties  connected  with  his 
duties  as  quartermaster,  and  the  responsibilities 
which  a  train  of  128  wagons,  five  ambulances  and 
i  ,000  mules  involved,  told  plainly  of  the  weariness 
of  mind  and  physical  fatigue  that  he  endured  each 
day.  A  disappointment  awaited  him  when 
General  Harney's  recall  came  and  the  troops 
were  distributed  to  different  posts.  Mr.  Hancock 
was  ordered  to  transfer  the  public  property  then 
in  his  charge  to  his  successor,  and  to  report  to 
Colonel  Andrews,  commanding  at  Fort  Bridger, 
where  he  found  his  entire  regiment,  the  Sixth 
Infantry,  united  for  the  first  time  in  sixteen  years. 
Instead  of  returning  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  as  the 
regiment  expected,  its  destination  was  left  to 
General  Johnson,  who  decided  that  they  must  go 
to  Benecia,  Cal.  Then  again  devolved  upon  Mr. 
Hancock  the  arduous  duties  of  organizing  his  part 
of  the  expedition,  selecting  stores  and  having 
them  packed,  hiring  teamsters,  herdsmen  and 
other  employees.  The  season  being  so  far  advan 
ced,  it  was  doubtful  whether  the  expedition  would 
succeed  in  crossing  the  Sierra  Nevadas  without 
encountering  heavy  snow-storms.  He  wrote  each 
day  a  detailed  account  of  his  march,  which  records 
he  found  valuable  afterwards  when  preparing  his 
report.  His  letters  contain  statistics  and  accurate 


40  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

descriptions  of  the  country  through  which  he 
marched ;  where  to  find  wood,  water  and  grass, 
and  much  similar  valuable  information. 

From  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Fort  Bridger  the 
distance  is  i ,000  miles;  from  Fort  Bridger  to 
Benecia,  Cal.,  1,119;  total  distance  2,128  miles, 
and  this  was  covered  by  Mr.  Hancock  on  mule- 
back.  A  drawing  accompanied  one  of  his  letters, 
which  depicted  him  in  the  ludicrous  situation  of 
being  tossed  over  the  mule's  head.  The  bruises 
which  the  third  accident  of  this  nature  produced 
were  so  disabling  as  to  confine  him  to  his  ambu 
lance  for  days  and  bring  down  hot  wrath  upon  his 
mulish  tormentor,  who  was  consigned  to  hard 
labor  until  the  journey's  end,  when  death  overtook 
him.  The  journal  before  me  records  the  sagacity 
of  this  same  animal.  The  poor  creature  was  suf 
fering  intensely  from  the  bite  of  a  snake  (sup 
posed  to  be  an  adder),  and  just  before  death, 
while  several  gentlemen  were  sitting  around  the 
quartermaster's  tent,  he  deliberately  came  up, 
walked  into  the  tent,  and  with  difficulty  could  be 
gotten  out.  The  suffering  animal  seemed  to  know 
that  Mr.  Hancock  was  the  quartermaster,  that  he 
was  supplied  with  medicines  for  the  "like  of  him," 
and  he  wanted  his  share.  After  petting  him  a 
while,  Mr.  Hancock  said,  "  You  must  go  ;  I  don't 
know  what  to  do  for  you."  The  mule  then  walked 


A   WEARY  MARCH. 


to  the  wagon  and  looked  in,  seeming  to  think  the 
quartermaster  had  been  deceiving  him,  and  then 
slowly  moved  along  the  entire  line  of  officers' 
tents,  as  if  demanding  from  each  assistance,  or 
bidding  them  good-bye  before  he  died.  No  one 
had  ever  seen  an  animal  display  so  much  sagacity, 
nor  did  this  incident  soon  pass  out  of  their  minds. 
Onward,  day  after  day,  for  four  months  was 
the  weary  march  continued,  accomplishing  twenty- 
five,  twenty-nine  and  as  many  as  thirty-six  miles 
a  day.  With  the  watchfulness  necessary  to  fulfill 
a  great  charge,  one  cannot  convey  an  idea  of  the 
difficulties  to  be  overcome,  and  the  nervous  pros 
tration  that  followed.  Yet  his  journal  was  care 
fully  prepared  in  every  minute  detail  before  retiring 
each  night,  and  put  in  shape  to  post,  if  an  oppor 
tunity  presented,  on  the  following  day.  There 
was  much  of  interest  to  one  traveling  for  the  first 
time  through  such  a  wild  and  picturesque  country, 
peopled  only  here  and  there,  and  where  many 
indications  pointed  to  the  existence  of  gold,  silver 
and  other  ores  of  value.  The  class  of  men  and 
women  who  inhabited  these  small  settlements 
was  peculiar  to  that  region,  and  their  character 
istics  were  such  as  were  totally  unknown  east  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  These  people  and  their 
habits  amused  our  troops  so  long  as  they  remained 
disinterested  spectators,  but  they  realized  fully 


42  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

how  formidable  an  enemy  these  pioneers  would 
make  were  they  antagonized.  From  one  of  my 
husband's  letters  I  will  quote  his  impressions  as 
they  were  recorded. 

"  October  20,  1858,  Company  in  Camp  in  Eagle  Valley — We 
followed  up  the  valley  of  Carson  River  and  came  to  a  steep  rocky 
hill.  In  eight-tenths  of  a  mile  are  the  gold-diggings  and  a  few 
houses,  principally  occupied  by  Chinamen  engaged  in  trading 
and  digging  gold.  A  few  of  the  Chinamen  could  speak  Eng 
lish  quite  well.  I  thought  better  of  the  Chinamen  after  seeing 
these  specimens.  They  were  hired,  I  was  told,  by  a  company 
to  bring  water  from  Carson  River  into  the  mouth  of  <  Gold 
Canon.'  After  digging  many  miles  they  fancied  the  ditch  was 
running  up-hill.  They  then  stopped  work  and  built  a  town  (if 
you  can  call  their  establishment  a  town).  A  party  was  given  to 
us  by  the  residents  of  this  place,  who  are  Vigilantes.  This  was 
in  opposition  to  the  *  Grand  Military  Ball '  to  be  given  to  us  in 
*  Genoa  '  to-morrow  night.  Some  of  the  principal  men  of  the 
town  came  over  to  kail  on  me  and  invite  me  to  kail  on  and 
see  their  wives,  who  would  be  at  the  ball.  Every  one  v/as  sav 
ing  himself  for  the  ball  to-morrow  night  to  be  given  by  the  Anti- 
Vigilantes.  Finding  that  no  one  was  going,  I  induced  two  or 
three  officers  to  go  with  me.  We  went  in,  and  were  immediately 
introduced  to  the  principal  *  ladies  '  of  the  place.  There  were  two 
tallow  candles  in  the  room,  one  at  each  end.  The  house  in 
which  the  party  was  given  was  a  new  one,  not  entirely  shingled, 
so  that  you  could  see  the  heavens  above.  It  was  unplastered, 
and  looked  like  a  barn.  In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  that  one  of 
the  officers  had  been  knocked  down  on  the  outside  of  the  house 
and  nearly  killed  by  some  one.  This  hastened  our  departure  a 
few  minutes  only.  I  have  seen  enough  of  Carson  Valley  parties. 
Our  object  in  going  was  merely  to  show  the  people  that  we  had 
no  prejudice  against,  or  in  favor  of,  either  of  the  two  factions 
into  which  the  population  was  divided.  I  danced  a  quadrille  with 
the  principal  married  lady  of  the  place,  and  I  have  reason  to 
believe  that  my  vis-a-vis  was  one  of  my  teamsters.  Fine,  eh  ! 


WESTERN  SOCIAL  LIFE.  43 

Well,  you  can  imagine  I  have  not  gotten  over  my  chagrin.  The 
march  was  resumed  on  the  following  day  in  the  midst  of  a 
snow-storm,  which  covered  the  mountains  and  the  plain,  and 
rendered  the  march  laborious  and  unprofitable  by  loss  of  mules 
from  cold,  exposure  and  other  casualties/' 

In  the  following  letter  he  writes: 

"  It  is  natural  that  you  should  wish  to  hear  of  the  ball  given 
by  the  Anti-Vigilantes  the  night  following  the  experience  of 
which  I  wrote  you  in  my  last.  I  did  not  go,  having  done  my 
duty  and  full  share  the  evening  before.  It  was  a  funny  ball. 
Lieutenant  Higgins  was  dancing  with  a  woman  (lady,  so-called), 
and  the  conversation  turned  on  the  division  of  parties — Vigilantes 
and  Anti-Vigilantes — and  the  state  of  the  country  generally. 
She  remarked  *  that  she  ought  to  be  dissatisfied,  as  her  husband 
had  been  hung  only  three  weeks  before.'  His  name  was  Lucky 
Bill,  a  notoriously  desperate  character,  noted  only  for  his  cruel 
ties,  and  the  universal  verdict  in  that  part  of  the  country  is  that 
he  well  merited  the  punishment  that  overtook  him." 

It  will  be  observed  that  these  weary  and  foot 
sore  soldiers  were  not  very  fastidious  in  their 
search  for  diversion ;  indeed,  they  were  quite  will 
ing  to  utilize  their  resting  moments  in  any  and 
every  way  that  presented,  so  as  to  annihilate 
time,  and  vary  the  interest  and  incident  of  this 
long  four  months'  march  through  the  desert.  The 
physical  drudgery  pertaining  to  the  infantry  arm 
of  the  service  upon  so  long  a  tramp  cannot  be 
conceived  by  those  who  have  not  experienced  the 
difficulties  to  be  overcome. 

This  recalls  a  reply  I  once  received  from  my 
husband  to  an  inquiry  as  to  why  he  preferred  the 


44  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

infantry  to  any  other  arm  of  the  service.  "  Be 
cause  I  am  only  a  soldier.  This  resting  fancifully 
upon  my  guns,  or  making  guns  for  others  to  shoot 
with,  though  somebody  must  do  it,  or  being  a  pro 
fessor  at  West  Point,  as  you  desired,  is  all  well 
enough,  and  there  must  be  capable  officers  to  per 
form  such  duty,  but  it  does  not  belong  to  me." 
Well  did  he  understand  himself.  Such  talent  and 
acquirements  did  not  belong  to  him — he  required 
broader  fields  for  his  nervous,  energetic  character, 
otherwise  his  profession  would  have  become  irk 
some  and  profitless. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  two  months'  leave  of  absence — Life  in  Washington — Mrs.  Joe. 
Johnston — Major  Robert  E.  Lee — The  start  for  California — > 
Arrival  at  Aspinwall — An  overloaded  vessel — The  fight  on  the 
boat — Ordered  to  Los  Angeles — An  exciting  eighteen  mile 
stage  drive. 

T  T  PON  arriving  at  Benecia  he  found  awaiting 
him  a  leave  of  absence,  and  soon  returned  to 
the  East,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus,  for  the  purpose 
of  escorting  his  family  back  again  to  the  Pacific 
coast.  A  short  sojourn  of  two  months,  most 
delightfully  spent  in  Washington  City,  brought 
him  to  the  close  of  this  indulgence. 

As  I  refer  to  those  days,  so  rich  in  memories 
and  reminiscences  of  men  and  women  who  at  that 
time  occupied  the  most  honorable  and  distin 
guished  positions  in  the  Government,  and  who 
were  destined  to  play  so  important  a  part  in  the 
great  drama  that  soon  followed,  I  may  be  par 
doned  if  I  digress  a  little  in  giving  them  a  passing 
notice.  Miss  Harriet  Lane,  mistress  of  the  White 
House,  with  her  personal  charms  and  courtly 
manners,  was  a  universal  favorite,  and  did  great 
credit  to  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration.  Mrs. 


46  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK*. 

Davis,  wife  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  Jefferson 
Davis,  whom  I  well  remember,  was  endowed  writh 
many  remarkable  qualities  that  made  her  emi 
nently  fitted  to  be  a  presiding  genius,  and  her 
entertainments  brought  together  the  most  culti 
vated  class  of  Washington  society.  Mrs.  Joe. 
Johnston  was  another  shining  light  in  that  great 
Capital,  a  person  of  unusual  intelligence,  and 
quick  at  repartee,  which  made  her  most  fascinat 
ing  in  conversation.  Her  charming  reunions  are 
long  to  be  remembered  by  those  who  were  admit 
ted  within  this  charmed  circle.  Our  happiness 
that  winter  was  complete,  and  we  left  Washing 
ton  with  sincere  regret  and  the  most  agreeable 
impressions. 

How  well  I  remember  General  Robert  E.  Lee, 
then  a  major,  who  was  stationed  there  at  that 
time.  He  was  the  beau  ideal  of  a  soldier  and  a 
gentleman.  When  bidding  us  "  good-by "  and 
"  godspeed,"  upon  the  eve  of  our  departure,  he 
said  to  me  :  "I  understand  that  you  contemplate 
deserting  your  post,  which  is  by  your  husband's 
side,  and  that  you  are  not  going  to  California  with 
him.  If  you  will  pardon  me,  I  should  like  to  give 
you  a  little  advice.  You  must  not  think  of  doing 
this.  As  one  considerably  older  than  Hancock, 
and  having  had  greater  experience,  I  consider  it 
fatal  to  the  future  happiness  of  young  married 


GENERAL  LEV  S  AD  VICE.  4  7 

people,  upon  small  provocation,  to  live  apart,  either 
for  a  short  or  long  time.  The  result  is  invariably 
that  they  cease  to  be  essential  to  each  other.  Now 
promise  me  that  you  will  not  permit  him  to  sail 
without  you. " 

The  sequel  shows  how  faithfully  I  sought  to 
follow  that  noble  man's  admonition,  and  how 
often  in  my  varied  experience  I  had  occasion  to 
transmit  to  others  his  disinterested,  truthful  con 
victions.  With  many  regrets  we  bade  adieu  to  a 
host  of  friends,  most  of  whom  I  never  saw  again. 
Not  so  with  my  husband,  however.  He  met  them 
face  to  face  on  the  battle-field  in  less  than  three 
years. 

The  day  appointed  for  the  sailing  of  the  Califor 
nia  steamer  was  the  2;th  of  April.  As  this  came 
upon  Friday,  it  deterred  many  from  sailing,  and 
frightened  off  a  number  of  our  party,  whom  we 
did  not  urge  to  a  reconsideration,  deciding  that 
sixteen  wromen  and  children  (families  of  brother- 
officers  stationed  on  the  Pacific  coast),  who  had 
been  placed  under  the  care  of  my  husband,  in 
volved  quite  as  much  responsibility  as  should  be 
put  upon  one  man.  From  the  moment  of  starting, 
everything  portended  an  eventful  journey.  From 
New  York  to  Havana,  our  vessel,  the  St.  Loiiis, 
was  greatly  overcrowded,  having  on  board  eleven 
hundred  and  fifty  passengers.  That  knowledge 


48  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFfELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

alone  caused  mutterings  of  a  decided  character. 
At  different  coaling  places  we  received  accessions 
to  our  numbers.  Relief  came  only  when  we 
stepped  upon  terra  firma  at  Aspinwall,  for  a  few 
hours,  before  starting  across  the  Isthmus  for  Pan 
ama.  There  we  were  detained  on  the  bridge 
overhanging  the  Chagres  River  fourteen  hours, 
with  the  thermometer  ranging  from  90°  to  100° 
in  the  shade,  and  warned  not  to  drink  the  water 
without  dilution.  Thanks  to  Mr.  Hancock's  fore 
thought,  we  were  well  supplied  with  ice,  claret 
and  lemons.  Hundreds  of  others,  however,  were 
famishing  for  a  cool  drink,  and  had  to  pay  the 
penalty  ;  possibly  losing  their  lives  from  lack  of 
experience.  The  situation  was  in  other  respects  a 
very  uncomfortable  one.  It  was  trying  to  the 
nerves  to  recall  the  horrible  massacre  committed 
upon  this  same  spot  by  the  natives,  led  on  by 
negro  guards,  involving  every  passenger  who 
came  over  on  the  steamer  preceding  our  own. 
We  found  the  guards  very  insolent  and  unbear 
able,  but  the  gentlemen  were  fully  armed,  and 
prepared  for  an  assault.  Such  discomfort  and 
danger  could  all  have  been  avoided  had  the 
Transfer  Company  been  in  readiness  to  convey 
passengers  at  once,  instead  of  permitting  the  de 
lays  which  invariably  occurred,  attended  as  they 
were  with  so  much  suffering  and  danger. 


A  PERILOUS  VOYAGE.  49 

Our  troubles  were  not  to  end  here.  After  reach 
ing  the  steamer  Golden  Gale,  on  the  Pacific  side, 
our  peace  of  mind  was  utterly  destroyed  by  the 
information  imparted  to  us  and  others  by  Captain 
Whiting,  that  he  was  carrying  seventeen  hundred 
and  fifty  passengers,  remarking,  "  God  knows 
what  will  become  of  us  all  in  the  event  of  disas 
ter."  Our  horror  can  well  be  conceived;  nor  was 
it  difficult  to  conjecture  the  fate  that  awaited  every 
soul  should  any  accident  take  place.  It  was  not 
long  before  this  fact  became  generally  known,  and 
the  indignation  against  the  captain  was  extreme, 
being  manifested  by  the  number  of  meetings  held 
denunciatory  of  his  reckless  manner,  of  placing  so 
many  human  beings  in  such  a  perilous  position. 
Upon  every  occasion  Mr.  Hancock  would  appear 
as  peacemaker,  throwing  the  responsibility  upon 
others,  where,  in  his  opinion,  it  properly  belonged. 

The  secret  of  the  captain's  imprudence,  doubt 
less,  was  his  indulgence  to  the  steerage  and  second- 
cabin  passengers,  who  were  allowed  access  to 
every  part  of  the  vessel,  much  to  the  annoy 
ance  and  inconvenience  of  first-cabin  passengers. 
Whenever  complaints  were  carried  to  the  captain, 
by  those  who  claimed  the  right  to  remonstrate, 
the  steerage  passengers  would  reciprocate  by 
threatening  and  denouncing  those  whom  they  con 
sidered  instrumental  in  the  effort  to  confine  them 


^O  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

to  their  proper  places.  Unfortunately  Mr.  Han 
cock  came  under  their  ban  ;  unjustly  so,  for  in  no 
instance  did  he  unite  with  those  who  were  resisting 
such  innovations.  He  was  utterly  unconscious 
of  the  revengeful  feeling  that  had  been  grow 
ing  against  him  below  decks,  until  notified  by  a 
young  man  from  the  steerage,  that  he  was  looked 
upon  suspiciously,  and  that  he  had  come  quietly 
to  put  him  on  his  guard,  remarking  at  the  same 
time  :  "  You  once,  Captain,  did  me  a  great  favor 
when  I  was  in  your  employ,  and  now  my  oppor 
tunity  has  come  to  serve  you.  Those  fellows 
down-stairs  are  organizing,  and  propose  to  give 
you  a  ducking  in  the  sea,  or  something  worse. 
Last  night  I  quieted  them  by  making  a  speech, 
telling  them  they  had  better  be  sure  of  their  man, 
and  that  I  knew  you  were  not  the  one.  Still,  you 
had  better  be  watchful,  as  they  are  a  bad  lot  of 
men  to  handle.  If  there  is  any  fighting  to  be 
done,  consider  me  on  your  side."  Mr.  Hancock 
assured  him  of  his  non-interference  with  the  steer 
age  passengers,  but  he  washed  it  understood,  and 
the  sooner  the  better,  that  he  was  not  afraid  of 
them,  and  would  be  prepared  to  meet  them  when 
ever  they  were  ready.  The  crisis  soon  came. 
The  following  morning,  before  breakfast,  Mr. 
Hancock  was  called  to  the  upper  deck  in  haste  to 
protect  our  little  son  of  nine  years  from  an  assault 


THE  FIGHT  ON  THE  SHIP.  5  I 

which  had  been  made  upon  him  by  six  villains, 
who  had  tried  to  injure  him  by  dragging  the  child 
by  the  hair  of  the  head  from  one  end  of  the  deck 
to  the  other.  He  was  not  many  moments  in  rout 
ing  this  party,  and  forcing  them  by  his  determined 
bearing  to  stand  before  him  in  presence  of  several 
hundred  passengers.  He  warned  them,  at  their 
peril,  never  to  approach  him,  and  never  again  to 
lay  their  hands  upon  his  child,  or  he  would  kill 
every  man  who  attempted  it.  This  salutary  lesson 
had  the  desired  effect  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage. 
Yet  we  fully  realized  that  a  smoldering  volcano 
was  alive  beneath  us.  Captain  Whiting  remarked, 
and  others  also,  that  they  had  never  witnessed  "  a 
fiercer  assault  and  quicker  rout  than  that  one, 
without  lock,  stock  or  barrel  in  sight."  Yet  every 
man  was  armed  with  a  knife,  and  of  course  Mr. 
Hancock,  also,  was  well  prepared  to  defend  him 
self. 

Pages  might  be  filled  with  the  recital  of  similar 
controversies  and  sensational  occurrences,  but  like 
all  things,  pleasant  and  unpleasant,  it  had  an  end 
ing,  and  through  God's  mercy  we  were  permitted 
to  reach  our  destination,  San  Francisco,  on  May  23. 
Yet  for  us  rest  had  not  come.  The  order  trans 
ferring  Mr.  Hancock  to  Los  Angeles,  five  hundred 
miles  distant  on  the  southern  coast,  was  found 
awaiting  him,  and  at  the  same  time  he  was  in- 


52  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

formed  by  Colonel  Swords,  the  Chief  Quarter 
master,  that  the  regular  steamer,  Senator,  which 
plied  up  and  down  the  coast,  was  in  readiness  to 
start  upon  her  voyage  that  afternoon.  This  inform 
ation  decided  him  to  avail  himself  of  the  present 
opportunity,  for  if  lost  it  would  occasion  him  a 
delay  of  two  weeks,  as  the  boat  made  but  two 
trips  monthly.  Our  transfer  from  one  vessel  to 
another  being  effected,  we  were  soon  again  upon 
the  ocean,  en  route  for  our  new  home.  After  a 
rough  voyage  of  thirty-six  hours,  the  little  Senator 
cast  anchor  three  miles  distant  from  Wilmington, 
there  to  await  the  coming  of  a  still  smaller 
steamer,  which  conveyed  the  passengers  to  shore. 
After  a  short  delay  a  Concord  coach  was  made 
ready  for  the  wild  ride  before  us  of  eighteen  miles 
to  Los  Angeles,  behind  six  untamed  California 
ponies,  two  of  which  had  never  before  been  in 
harness.  The  conditions  were  anything  but 
promising,  and  after  earnest  protest  from  my  hus 
band  against  riding  behind  such  a  lawless  team 
with  his  family,  it  was  made  plain  to  him  that 
there  was  no  alternative,  "unless  he  remained 
upon  the  beach  all  night,"  as  General  Banning,  the 
generalissimo  of  that  section,  expressed  it.  From 
the  start,  with  lash  applied,  these  horses  were  on 
the  run,  the  General  assuring  us  there  was  no 
danger  under  his  skillful  handling,  and  promising 


AN  EXCITING  DRIVE. 


53 


a  safe  delivery  of  his  precious  charge,  which  was 
faithfully  performed. 

One  soon  became  imbued  with  that  reckless 
sense  of  adventure  and  disregard  of  life  that  was 
nowhere  experienced  more  than  in  California, 
attributable  partly  to  social  conditions,  and  in 
part  perhaps  to  the  exhilarating  influences  of  that 
delightful  climate.  The  later  return  to  the  me 
thodical,  quiet,  conventional  habits  practiced  in 
the  "  States,"  was  a  contrast  unendurable  for  a 
time,  and  suggested  the  possibility  that  the  world 
on  this  side  was  indulging  in  a  Rip  Van  Winkle 
sleep. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Description  of  Los  Angeles — Amusements — Coyotes  interfere  with 
lunch— Adventure  with  a  drunken  Indian — Church  services — 
A  Spanish  demonstration — Indian  etiquette— A  Fourth  of 
July  celebration, 

OS  ANGELES  in  1858-59  was  not  the  Los 
Angeles  of  to-day;  now  it  contains  25,000 
inhabitants,  then  it  boasted  of  4,000.  Its  main 
street  was  lined  on  both  sides  with  adobe  houses 
of  true  Spanish  type,  and  not  very  many  of  them  ; 
but  the  surrounding  country,  with  its  beautiful 
hills  and  valleys,  its  snow-capped  mountains  and 
variegated  fields,  was  unsurpassably  charming. 
The  American  colony  at  that  time  was  small,  riot 
numbering  a  baker's  dozen;  yet  they  knew  how  to 
live  and  make  the  most  of  the  life,  that  had  much 
to  offer  for  those  who  sought  it.  Not  long,  how 
ever,  was  accorded  to  us  the  privilege  of  rest  and 
opportunity  to  investigate  our  new  home  and 
surroundings.  Our  little  daughter  was  at  once 
taken  ill  with  Panama  fever,  contracted  on  the 
Isthmus,  and  for  six  weeks  her  recovery  was  con 
sidered  doubtful.  Among  strangers,  in  a  strange 
land,  was  it  a  matter  of  surprise  that  I  also  should 

54 


UNPLEASANT  COMPANIONS.  5  5 

have  succumbed  to  fatigue  and  anxiety  after  the 
ordeal  I  had  gone  through  !  My  unfortunate  ill 
ness  added  to  the  perplexities  that  environed  my 
husband  in  entering  upon  so  large  and  important 
a  field  of  duty,  necessitating  his  absence  from 
home,  often  for  days  at  a  time.  What  words  can 
express  my  appreciation  of  the  cherished  friends 
that  were  raised  up  to  us  in  that  hour  of  darkness 
and  despair;  friends  who  never  tired  of  well 
doing,  who  contributed  so  much  to  our  relief,  and 
added  so  much  to  our  future  happiness  and  con 
tentment,  during  Mr.  Hancock's  three  years  of 
service  in  California. 

The  little  town  of  Los  Angeles  presented 
nothing  of  interest  in  itself,  being  too  small  to 
attract  or  sustain  public  amusements  of  any  kind. 
We  were  not  wdthout  diversions,  however,  such  as 
should  satisfy  every  reasonable  desire.  With  a 
lady  friend  I  would  frequently  drive  to  the  sea 
shore,  some  eighteen  miles  distant,  where  we 
would  gather  moss  and  shells  on  the  beach.  Our 
driver  was  supplied  with  several  revolvers,  with 
which  he  would  keep  at  bay  the  coyotes  while 
we  were  boiling  our  coffee  and  preparing  our 
luncheon.  The  odor  of  the  coffee  seemed  to 
attract  these  cowardly  animals  in  great  numbers, 
and  their  howls  and  cries  made  a  weird  and 
rather  unpleasant  accompaniment  to  our  meal 


0  REMINISCENCES  OF  W1NFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Yet  this  added  attraction  to  the  novelty  of  the 
situation,  which  was  more  than  half  the  enjoy 
ment  experienced  upon  these  excursions. 

The  absence  of  a  daily  mail  was  a  source  of 
regret,  and  we  often  wished  it  otherwise,  as  the 
distance  seemed  to  be  lengthened,  in  consequence, 
between  us  and  our  loved  ones  at  home.  The 
population  consisted  principally  of  Spaniards,  a 
few  rough  American  adventurers,  and  many  Ind 
ians  of  a  low  order,  who  were  treacherous  and 
required  watching,  and  were  at  times  very  dis 
orderly.  This  recalls  to  my  mind  a  very  unpleas 
ant  predicament,  in  which  I  was  wakened  from  a 
sound  sleep  and  found  myself  placed  upon  the 
defensive.  The  door  and  window  of  our  bedroom 
opened  on  a  low  piazza,  easy  of  access  from  the 
street.  I  saw  within  two  feet  of  my  bed  a 
drunken  Indian  striving  with  all  his  might  to 
unloose  the  window  blinds.  After  each  attempt 
he  would  peer  cautiously  within,  then  resume  his 
determined  efforts  to  force  the  window.  I  recog 
nized  at  once  that  the  safety  of  myself  and 
children  depended  upon  my  ability  to  keep  him 
at  bay  until  Mr.  Hancock's  return.  I  felt  more 
reassured  after  possessing  myself  of  a  six-shooter, 
removing  the  light  to  one  side,  and  placing 
myself  in  a  position  to  command  the  window. 
Thus  I  sat  for  one  hour,  hoping  every  moment  for 


RELIGIOUS  SERVICES  IN  LOS  ANGELES.  ^  -j 

a  release,  until  the  well-known  footstep  of  rhy 
husband  announced  that  it  had  come.  One 
moment  afterwards  the  irresponsible  wretch  was 
flung  into  the  street  and  chastised  until  well 
sobered.  Incidents  of  this  kind  were  not  infre 
quent,  but  were  soon  forgotten,  as  they  rather 
added  interest  to  the  ever-varying-  scenes  of  this 
one  side  of  life  known  to  but  few,  yet  possessing 
an  attractiveness  which  partly  disqualified  one  for 
appreciating  any  other. 

The  majority  of  the  community  were  Spaniards, 
naturally  strong  adherents  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  they  made  no  concealment  of  their  dislike 
and  disapproval  of  every  attempt  to  establish  a 
Protestant  Church.  The  absence  of  a  place  of 
worship  was  keenly  felt  by  the  little  colony  of 
which  I  was  a  member.  When  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Boardman,  of  Philadelphia,  arrived  in  Los  Angeles 
for  the  improvement  of  his  health,  he  proposed 
to  hold  services  every  Sunday  morning  and  even 
ing,  for  the  benefit  of  the  dozen  faithful.  I  gladly 
volunteered  to  preside  over  the  organ  which  was 
sent  from  San  Francisco,  and  soon  organized  a 
quartet  which  would  have  done  credit  to  any 
choir.  These  services  were  held  in  a  long  room 
appropriated  for  the  city  courts,  and  in  a  little 
while  our  congregation  was  all  that  one  could 
desire,  for  numbers  were  attracted  by  the  interest- 


5  8  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

ing  and  beautiful  services.  A  few  ladies,  earnest 
church  workers,  succeeded  by  zealous  and  contin 
uous  efforts  in  building  a  church,  but  before  com 
pletion  it  unfortunately  had  to  be  sold  as  a  Jewish 
Synagogue.  This  was  caused  by  the  dispersion 
of  the  congregation,  by  death  or  otherwise.  I 
have  often  cried  out,  "  Why  should  this  have  been  !  " 
The  answer  comes,  "  He  doeth  according  to  His 
will,  and  none  can  stay  His  hand,  and  say  unto 
Him,  why  doest  thou  ? " 

The  presidential  election  was  impending,  and 
excitement  ran  high.  In  Mr.  Hancock's  opinion  the 
situation  was  pregnant  with  danger  in  the  event 
of  Mr.  Lincoln's  success.  This  conviction  caused 
him  much  uneasiness,  which  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  express  ;  but  few  believed  it  possible  that  the 
South  had  the  intention  of  actually  seceding  from 
the  Union.  In  the  absence  of  railroads,  telegraph 
lines,  and  even  direct  overland  mails,  tidings  wrere 
meagre,  and  slow  in  reaching  the  Pacific  coast. 
The  suspense  in  the  interval  can  well  be  imagined. 
Portentous  rumblings  came  from  the  East,  and 
from  the  utterances  of  those  around  him,  a  ma 
jority  of  whom  were  Southern  sympathizers,  Mr. 
Hancock  concluded  that  rebellion  was  imminent, 
and  the  extent  of  this  rebellion  he  seemed  to  foresee 
intuitively.  The  reckless  character  of  the  large 
portion  of  the  population  composing  the  Disunion- 


A  NOVEL  SPANISH  DEMONSTRATION.  59 

ists,  most  of  them  adventurers,  willingly  participat 
ing  in  any  movement  which  presented  opportuni 
ties  to  themselves,  made  the  situation  very  hazard 
ous.  The  Spanish  element  was  in  entire  sym 
pathy  with  the  project  to  establish  an  independent 
Pacific  republic,  and  it  was  understood  that  they 
had  actually  raised  the  "  Bear"  flag  in  one  of  the 
adjacent  towns.  The  Spaniards  in  that  region 
indicated  their  desire  for  war  in  a  novel  way,  and 
by  an  old  and  time-honored  custom,  as  I  afterwards 
learned.  Eight  or  twelve  horsemen  in  full  regalia 
would  form  a  line,  riding  slowly  past  the  offend 
er's  house  (in  this  case  the  offender  being  Mr. 
Hancock,  as  the  representative  of  the  United  States 
Government),  with  heads  turned  in  a  menacing 
manner.  I  enjoyed  this  picturesque  spectacle  until 
warned  of  its  significance  as  indicative  of  future 
mischief.  On  the  second  appearance  of  this  troop 
my  husband  assumed  a  defiant  manner  that  was 
not  to  be  mistaken.  The  situation  was  critical, 
and  the  fact  became  more  apparent  each  day  that 
a  struggle  for  supremacy  was  impending.  Mr. 
Hancock  believed  that  it  was  only  deferred  by  the 
prompt  measures  he  had  taken  for  the  protection 
of  the  Government  property,  which  consisted  of 
supplies  and  munitions  of  war.  These  were  very 
insecurely  stored  within  a  short  distance  of  our 
residence,  and  afforded  a  tempting  opportunity 


60  REMINISCENCES  OI<   WINFIF.LD  S.  HANCOCK. 

for  the  insurgents.  Upon  the  receipt  of  informa 
tion  that  it  was  the  purpose  of  these  people  to 
possess  themselves  of  this  material,  he  began  his 
preparations  for  defense,  by  concealing  the  boxes 
of  arms  and  ammunition  under  innumerable 
bags  of  grain,  and  in  addition,  placing  his  wagons 
in  such  a  position  as  to  improvise  a  quite  formid 
able  barricade,  behind  which  he  intended  to  con 
test  every  foot  of  ground,  aided  by  the  few  loyal 
friends  who  promised  their  support,  at  a  given 
signal,  in  case  of  emergency.  Fearing  a  personal 
assault  upon  himself,  a  very  possible  event,  as  he 
was  the  only  United  States  official  within  a  hun 
dred  miles  of  Los  Angeles  he  collected  a  small 
arsenal  of  twenty  Derringers  within  his  own 
house,  in  readiness  for  use  at  a  moment's  notice, 
relying  upon  my  assistance  to  prevent  his  capture, 
should  the  attempt  be  made.  I  was  at  the  time 
a  pretty  good  shot,  having  been  taught  the  use  of 
fire-arms  while  in  Florida,  a  necessary  accomplish 
ment  in  that  country,  and  I  felt  quite  equal  to  the 
confidence  reposed  in  me.  The  preparations  that 
wrere  made  fortunately  sufficed  to  prevent  the 
threatened  outbreak. 

Previous  to  this  excitement,  the  Mojave  Indians 
had  been  giving  the  troops  much  trouble,  but 
had  been  finally  subdued.  After  peace  had  been 
established,  as  a  matter  of  policy  the  chiefs  and 


INDIAN  PECULIARITIES.  6  I 

other  prominent  Indians  were  invited  to  visit  the 
Quartermaster  in  Los  Angeles,  as  they  had 
already  been  much  impressed  with  the  grandeur 
of  his  formidable  train  of  wagons.  On  arrival 
they  were  formally  escorted  to  the  residence  of 
the  big  chief.  When  passing  the  large  market 
building,  which  had  just  been  completed,  they 
turned  to  go  in,  thinking  it  was  in  keeping  with 
his  great  wealth,  etc.  Their  disappointment  was 
evident  when  they  reached  the  modest  little 
cottage,  minus  one  gable-end,  a  result  of  the 
heavy  rains.  They  gave  three  audible  grunts,  and 
shook  their  heads  dubiously,  that  so  great  a  man 
should  live  in  so  humble  a  manner.  As  soon, 
however,  as  they  were  taken  to  their  tents,  pitched 
in  the  corral,  within  a  short  distance  of  the  house, 
and  there  viewed  the  great  possessions  of  the 
Quartermaster's  Department,  their  increased  re 
spect  was  apparent.  Jack,  a  bright  young  Indian, 
who  spoke  a  little  English,  and  who  was  the 
heir-apparent  of  the  Mojave  chieftainship,  ex 
claimed,  "Much  mulie  and  wagon,  much  pork  and 
beanie,  house  no  goodie''  pointing  toward  the  Cap 
tain's  home,  with  evident  discontent.  In  music 
they  evinced  much  interest,  and,  if  possible,  would 
keep  me  at  the  piano,  or  "  music  table,"  so  called 
by  them,  from  early  dawn  until  night.  Upon  one 
occasion,  when  I  was  entertaining  these  dusky 


62  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

friends  with  "  The  Girl  I  left  Behind  Me,"  and 
other  airs  with  which  they  were  familiar,  from 
having  heard  them  played  by  drummers  and 
fifers,  at  Fort  Mojave,  I  was  nearly  overcome,  upon 
completing  the  performance,  to  find  half  of  the 
Indians  in  as  complete  a  deshabille  as  possible  to 
conceive,  some  making  strenuous  efforts  to  force 
their  legs  into  the  sleeves  of  some  gaudy  shirts 
that  had  been  presented  to  them,  others  trying  on 
hats,  and  making  their  toilet  in  numerous  ways.  It 
was  time  for  me  to  make  an  exit,  and  to  have  the 
miserable  creatures  sent  away,  as  they  were  hav 
ing  altogether  too  good  a  time  at  our  expense. 
The  principal  decoration  used  upon  these  Indians' 
heads  was  mud.  I  have  seen  them  sit  an  hour 
beside  a  puddle  of  water  saturating  their  hair, 
and  separating  it  in  thick  strands  to  dry.  It  was 
some  time  before  the  Quartermaster  could  make 
them  understand  that  their  visit  must  have  an 
ending,  and  when  it  came  they  marched  in  Indian 
file  through  the  town,  decked  out  in  his  discarded 
dressing  robes,  hats  and  uniform,  much  to  the  mer 
riment  of  those  who  witnessed  the  departure. 

All  the  while  the  secession  movement  was  in 
progress,  which  determined  the  Union  element  to 
arrange  a  plan  to  make  such  a  display  as  should 
overawe  the  opposition.  A  squadron  of  United 
States  cavalry  was  ordered  from  Fort  Tchone,  one 


NEGOTIATING  FOR  THE  "MUSIC  TABLED  63 

hundred  miles  away,  which,  added  to  the  gather 
ing,  from  all  directions,  of  Union  men,  made  quite 
a  respectable,  if  not  a  very  formidable,  procession. 
It  was  at  this  time,  the  4th  of  July,  1860,  that  Mr. 
Hancock  made  his  maiden  speech,  a  strong  and 
impressive,  if  not  eloquent,  appeal  to  his  country 
men  not  to  separate  themselves  from  the  common 
memories  and  interests  which  had  so  long  bound 
them  together.  Whether  this  4th  of  July  celebra 
tion  had  any  effect  upon  the  disturbances  I  cannot 
say,  but  it  was  generally  considered  to  have  qui 
eted  for  a  time  the  rising  spirit  of  dissatisfaction, 
which  was  assuming  an  importance  manifestly  not 
illusory. 

This  recalls  to  mind  another  occasion,  when 
General  Hancock  felt  called  upon  to  entertain  a 
half-dozen  Sioux  chieftains,  wrho  were  en  route 
to  Washington  for  a  visit  to  their  Great  Father, 
President  Pierce.  The  open  piano  at  once  claimed 
their  attention,  and  was  closely  inspected  with 
evident  curiosity,  though  not  expressed  by  word 
or  gesture — Indian-like.  When  this  was  observed, 
I  was  requested  to  give  them  some  music,  which 
seemed  to  have  "  power  to  soothe  the  savage,"  for 
immediately  negotiations  commenced  through  an 
interpreter  to  purchase  the  "  big  Captain's  "  squaw, 
along  with  the  "  music  table."  Beads,  robes  and 
blankets  were  first  offered  for  the  exchange.  When 


64  REMINISCENCES  OF  WiNFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

the  "  big  Captain  "  rejected  these,  supposing  the  in 
ducements  were  not  sufficient,  they  added  ponies 
to  an  increased  number  of  robes, and  trinkets  of  all 
kinds.  Their  indignation  and  dissatisfaction  were 
apparent,  and  quickly  made  evident  by  their  leav 
ing  the  house  in  Indian  file,  without  a  glance  here 
nor  there,  seeming  deaf  to  the  interpreter's  appeals 
to  return. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

News  of  the  fall  of  Sumter — Mr.  Hancock  applies  to  be  ordered 
East— General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston— Feeling  in  the  West 
— The  parting  at  Los  Angeles — Incidents  of  the  voyage  from 
San  Francisco  to  New  York — Startling  rumors. 

\  1  ^HEN  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Sumter  reached 
the  Pacific  coast,  Mr.  Hancock  applied  to 
be  relieved  and  ordered  home,  but  his  application 
was  totally  ignored.  After  waiting  a  reasonable 
time  he  made  another  request  to  General  Scott, 
and  wrote  at  the  same  time  to  the  Postmaster- 
General,  Montgomery  Blair,  whom  he  then  re 
garded  as  a  friend,  asking  for  his  influence  with 
Mr.  Lincoln  to  obtain  the  desired  order.  After  a 
long  silence  the  order  came,  but  in  the  interval, 
fearing  his  application  would  meet  with  the  same 
fate  as  before,  he  told  me  that  it  was  his  intention 
to  offer  his  services  to  Governor  Curtin,  of  Pennsyl 
vania.  Whether  he  actually  took  this  step  or  not 
I  cannot  now  recall,  but  before  he  could  pos 
sibly  have  heard  from  the  Governor  he  had  been 
ordered  to  report  for  duty  in  Washington,  pre 
paratory  to  his  assignment  as  Chief  Quarter- 

65 


66  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

master  on  the  staff  of  General  Robert  Anderson, 
commanding"  the  Union  forces  in  the  State  of 
Ohio. 

It  is  with  sadness  that  I  revert  to  those  days 
of  trial,  when  the  hearts  of  some  of  our  gallant 
officers  were  torn  almost  asunder  by  the  conflict 
ing  passions  of  fidelity  to  their  country  and  to 
their  State,  the  sovereignty  of  which  they  were 
educated  to  believe  superior  to  all  other.  Full 
allowances  must  be  made  for  the  brave  men  of 
the  South,  who  were  as  honest  in  their  convictions 
as  the  bravest  on  the  side  of  the  Union.  Many 
conferences  were  held  in  our  home  in  Los  An 
geles,  between  my  husband  and  the  Southern  offi 
cers,  who  were  urged  by  their  relatives  and  friends 
to  resign  their  commissions  and  offer  their  services 
to  their  own  States,  as  otherwise  they  would  be 
regarded  as  renegades  throughout  the  South. 
They  sought  the  advice  of  my  husband,  hoping 
to  receive  from  him  some  comfort  or  encourage 
ment,  but  he  could  give  none,  and  would  say 
to  those  dear  friends,  Armistead,  Garnett,  Pick- 
ett,  and  a  host  of  others  whom  he  loved:  "I 
can  give  you  no  advice,  as  I  shall  not  fight  upon 
the  principle  of  State-rights,  but  for  the  Union, 
whole  and  undivided,  as  I  do  not  and  will  not 
belong  to  a  country  formed  of  principalities. 
I  cannot  sympathize  with  you ;  you  must  be 


GENERAL  JOHNSTON  RESIGNS.  67 

guided  by  your  own  convictions,  and  I  hope 
you  will  make  no  mistakes."  Thus  drifting  along, 
they  hoped  for  a  peaceful  solution  of  the  im 
pending  difficulties  ;  but  their  fate  was  finally 
decided  by  'the  attempted  separation  of  the 
Southern  States. 

At  that  time  I  was  in  San  Francisco,  and 
had  occasion  to  visit  the  Headquarters  of  Gen 
eral  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  who  was  in  com 
mand  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  met  me  that 
morning,  and  said,  with  tears  in  his  eyes  : 
"  You  are  not  aware  that  General  Sumner  was 
among  the  passengers  who  arrived  on  the 
steamer  this  morning,  and  who  came  to  me 
unannounced,  expecting  to  catch  me  in  treason 
able  intentions.  I  have  not  yet  seen  him,  but  I 
understand  that  he  has  been  sent  out  to  relieve 
me  of  my  command."  I  replied,  "  General,  you 
are  morbidly  sensitive,  I  think,  and  hasty  in  your 
conclusions."  "  I  hope  that  I  have  been,  but 
why  was  the  General's  name  omitted  in  the  pas 
senger  list,  that  was  sent  by  the  overland  mail  ?  If 
my  suspicions  are  correct,  I  shall  at  once  resign, 
and  God  knows  what  then.  I  had  intended  to 
remain  where  I  am,  as  my  wife  is  so  opposed  to 
my  giving  up  a  certainty  for  an  uncertainty." 

It  was  soon  known  that  General  Johnston  had 
resigned.     There  are  many  loyal  men  and  women 


6$  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

still  living  who  are  cognizant  of  these  facts,  and 
can  certify  to  General  Johnston's  loyal  and 
determined  efforts  to  protect  the  Pacific  coast 
as  long  as  he  remained  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States.  He  employed  every  means 
within  his  reach,  as  any  Northern  soldier  would 
have  done.  His  treatment  was  denounced 
by  both  sides,  and  the  unwarrantable  suspicion 
shown  by  the  Government  was  considered  humil 
iating  and  discreditable. 

General  Johnston  moved  with  his  family  to  Los 
Angeles,  believing  it  might  be  within  the  power 
of  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Griffin,  who  was  a  prom 
inent  physician  of  that  lower  country,  to  assist  him 
in  some  practical  way  in  the  support  of  his  family, 
which  consisted  of  his  wife  and  five  children  ;  but 
he  found  it  impossible  to  succeed,  and  finally  con 
cluded  to  join  a  few  officers  who  were  en  route 
for  the  South,  and  go  with  them  as  far  as  Texas, 
where  he  proposed  to  establish  himself  upon  an 
old  ranch  that  had  once  been  his  home,  and  later 
to  send  for  his  family.  Fate  decreed  otherwise. 
Upon  reaching  the  spot  that  was  once  called 
home,  there  was  nothing  left  but  the  ground:  all 
had  been  devastated.  His  letters  to  his  wife  at 
this  time,  extracts  of  which  were  read  to  me,  indi 
cated  a  hopeless  and  desperate  state  of  mind, 
which  ultimately  placed  him  in  the  position  that 


THE  FINAL  PARTING.  69 

he  and  his  devoted  wife  had  tried  hard  to  resist, 
she  urging  him  to  remember  his  age,  and  the  de 
pendent  condition  in  which  he  would  leave  his 
family  in  the  event  of  his  death,  a  contingency 
which  was  soon  after  realized. 

A  never-to-be-forgotten  evening  was  the  one 
spent  at  our  home  by  the  officers  who  were  to  start 
upon  their  overland  trip  to  the  South  at  12  o'clock 
that  night.  General  and  Mrs.  Johnston  were  of  the 
party.  Before  leaving,  the  General  said  to  his 
wife,  "  Come,  sing  me  one  or  two  of  the  old  songs 
you  used  to  sing,  '  Mary  of  Argyle,'  and  *  Kath 
leen  Mavourneen.' '  She  complied  reluctantly  in 
the  presence  of  such  an  audience,  saying,  with 
deep  emotion,  that  she  felt  as  though  her  music 
days  were  over.  Those  songs  will  ever  be  remem 
bered  by  the  survivors  of  that  mournful  gathering. 
All  were  endeavoring  to  conceal,  under  smiling 
exteriors,  hearts  that  were  filled  with  sadness  over 
the  sundering  of  life-long  ties,  and  doubts  as  to 
the  result  of  their  sacrifice.  The  most  crushed  of 
the  party  was  Major  Armistead,  who,  with  tears, 
which  were  contagious,  streaming  down  his  face, 
and  hands  upon  Mr.  Hancock's  shoulders,  while 
looking  him  steadily  in  the  eye,  said,  "  Hancock, 
good-by  ;  you  can  never  know  what  this  has  cost 
me,  and  1  hope  God  will  strike  me  dead  if  I  am 
ever  induced  to  leave  my  native  soil,  should  worse 


JO  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

come  to  worst."  Turning  to  me,  he  placed  a  small 
satchel  in  my  hand,  requesting  that  it  should  not 
be  opened  except  in  the  event  of  his  death,  in 
which  case  the  souvenirs  it  contained,  with  the 
exception  of  a  little  prayer-book,  intended  for  me, 
and  which  I  still  possess,  should  be  sent  to  his 
family.  On  the  fly-leaf  of  this  book  is  the  follow 
ing  :  4<  Lewis  A.  Armistead.  Trust  in  God  and 
fear  nothing."  At  the  same  time  he  presented  Mr. 
Hancock  with  a  new  major's  uniform,  saying  that 
"  he  might  sometime  need  it."  This  particular 
promotion  never  came  to  him,  as  he  jumped  the 
grades  from  captain  to  brigadier-general.  Arm 
istead  died  in  the  way  that  he  prayed  for.  I,  as 
well  as  my  husband,  believed  that  he  courted  the 
death  that  finally  came  to  him  at  Gettysburg,  for 
I  have  often  heard  it  related  how  bravely  he  came 
to  the  front  of  his  brigade,  waving  his  sword,  and 
how  he  was  shot  through  the  body,  and  fell  within 
our  lines,  asking  to  be  taken  to  Hancock's  tent. 
At  the  same  moment  my  husband  had  fallen  with 
what  was  supposed,  at  the  time,  to  be  a  mortal 
wound.  Three  out  of  the  six  from  whom  we 
parted  on  that  evening  in  Los  Angeles  were 
killed  in  front  of  General  Hancock's  troops,  and 
others  wounded. 

The    orders  taking  us  from  Los  Angeles  soon 
followed,  and,  with    burdened    hearts,  we    parted 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  "ADA  HANCOCK"  Ji 

from  those  dear  friends,  and  abandoned  a  home 
which  it  was  not  our  privilege  to  enjoy  again  for 
four  weary  and  anxious  years,  for  during  that 
period  I  was  permitted  to  be  with  my  husband  but 
nine  months  all  told. 

Before  setting  sail  for  San  Francisco,  General 
Banning  had  prepared  for  the  christening  of  a  lit 
tle  steamboat,  nearly  completed,  to  be  called,  for  our 
daughter,  Ada  Hancock,  who  performed  the  usual 
interesting  ceremonies,  although  but  five  and  a 
half  years  of  age.  The  boat  was  to  be  used  for 
the  purpose  of  transporting  passengers  from  the 
beach  to  the  steamers,  which  usually  anchored 
three  miles  away.  From  some  cause  the  Ada 
Hancock,  while  conveying  a  large  party  of  ladies 
and  gentlemen  from  Los  Angeles  and  San  Fran 
cisco  to  the  steamer,  blew  up,  killing  the  majority 
of  the  passengers,  and  injuring  others  so  seriously 
that  they  died  afterwards.  Mrs.  Sidney  Johns 
ton's  eldest  son  was  numbered  among  the  victims. 
This  untoward  event  occurred  soon  after  our  de 
parture,  and  caused  much  sadness  and  regret. 

We  sailed  from  San  Francisco  during  the  last 
week  of  August,  1861.  The  voyage  to  Panama 
was  devoid  of  incident,  but  made  comfortable  by 
the  small  number  of  passengers;  the  contrast  being 
quite  delightful  between  the  out-going  and  home 
ward  -  bound  trips.  Our  vessel  had  barely  cast 


!J 2  REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


MISS    ADA    HANCOCK. 


NEWS  OF  THE  WAR. 


73 


anchor  in  Panama  Bay  before  Mr.  Hancock,  in  his 
eagerness  to  learn  the  latest  war  news,  induced  two 
sailors  to  row  him  ashore,  and  was  soon  rewarded 
by  receiving  from  an  American  gentleman  the 
latest  Eastern  papers  (two  weeks  old,  however), 
containing  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Wilson's 
Creek,  where  General  Lyon  and  so  many  of  his 
brave  men  yielded  up  their  lives.  So  soon  as  it 
was  ascertained  that  a  paper  containing  important 
news  was  in  Mr.  Hancock's  possession,  a  rush  was 
made  for  him.  He  invited  all  to  adjourn  to  the 
dining  cabin,  and  there  he  read  aloud  the  latest 
accounts  of  Lyon's  fight,  which  filled  every  one 
with  awe  and  anxiety,  no  one  being  quite  able  to 
grasp  the  new  situation,  so  rapid  had  been  the 
march  of  events.  Among  the  over-anxious  pas 
sengers  who  could  not  resist  their  impatience,  but 
stood  behind  Mr.  Hancock,  endeavoring  to  read 
beyond  him,  was  an  elderly  lady  whom  we  did  not 
know.  Finally,  she  anxiously  inquired  :  "  Do  you 
see  anything  in  that  paper,  sir,  about  my  son  ? 
Pray  tell  me,  and  relieve  my  anxiety."  In  re 
sponse  Mr.  Hancock  begged  that  she  would 
inform  him  who  her  son  was.  She  answered, 
"General  B.  F.  Butler."  After  search,  the  an 
nouncement  came  that  he  was  safe. 

Upon   reaching    Aspinwall    it    was    understood 
that  a  Confederate  vessel  was  cruising  around,  in 


74  REMINISCENCES  OF  WLVF1ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

hopes  of  capturing  the  California  steamer  Cham 
pion,  reported  to  be  carrying  an  unusual  amount  of 
gold,  which  report  was  correct.  The  Government 
had  provided  a  convoy,  and  we  started,  feeling 
secure  under  the  protection  of  a  United  States 
frigate.  She  left  us,  however,  after  a  few  days' 
voyage,  mystified  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the 
dreaded  cruiser,  for  she  had  been  sighted  many 
times  before  the  sailing  of  the  Champion.  It  was 
known  afterwards  that  all  that  saved  us  was  an 
accident  occurring  to  the  Confederate  steamer, 
which  disabled  her  and  prevented  a  successful 
chase. 

Before  reaching  Cape  Hatteras  we  were  star 
tled  by  the  appearance  of  a  steamer  whose  move 
ments  were,  to  say  the  least,  very  suspicious.  Not 
only  did  she  show  great  speed,  rapidly  overhaul 
ing  us,  but  she  made  no  answer  to  Captain  Mc- 
Gowen's  signals,  and  we  soon  concluded  that  the 
enemy  was  upon  us.  The  scene  in  the  cabin  was 
one  of  terror,  ladies  fainting,  wringing  their  hands 
and  crying  aloud.  On  deck  it  was  more  serious. 
The  captain  ordered  every  light  upon  the  ship  to 
be  put  out,  and  preparations  were  made  to  meet 
the  attack  which  was  momentarily  expected.  The 
Government  had  supplied  the  vessel  with  arms 
and  ammunition  for  self-protection  against  the 
cruisers  that  were  then  infesting  the  sea,  relying 


PREPARING  FOR  A  FIGHT.  75 

upon  the  passengers  to  assist  in  the  defense.  Mr. 
Hancock  had  organized  a  company  from  among 
the  deck  and  steerage  passengers,  and  drilled 
them  every  day.  On  our  ship  were  quite  a  num 
ber  of  old  Army  friends  who  had  resigned  for  the 
purpose  of  going  South,  and  who  enjoyed  hugely 
the  joke  in  connection  with  this  "  scrub  company," 
and  reminded  my  husband  of  the  enemy  in  the 
rear  that  he  would  have  to  fight.  "  What,  you  fel 
lows?"  said  he.  ''Oh,  I  shall  take  care  to  place 
you  very  soon  out  of  harm's  way.  I  give  myself 
no  uneasiness  about  that."  Fortunately  no  occa 
sion  arose  to  test  this  forced  confidence,  for  the  pur 
suing  steamer  soon  after  answered  the  signals,  and 
proved  to  be  one  of  our  own  ships,  whose  com 
mander  was  simply  amusing  himself  by  giving 
us  a  scare.  The  indignation  among  the  passen 
gers  was  great  when  the  truth  became  known, 
and  Captain  McGowen's  rage  was  boundless.  We 
met  with  no  further  adventures,  and  reached  New 
York  in  safety. 

Upon  nearing  Sandy  Hook  our  vessel  was 
boarded  by  a  pilot,  and  with  him  came  the  rumor 
that  we  were  to  be  inspected  by  Government 
detectives,  who  had  reason  to  believe  that  there 
were  a  number  of  Army  or  ex- Army  officers  on 
board  bound  for  the  South.  If  so,  they  were  to 
be  arrested  for  treason.  After  this  information 


76  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

our  friends  were  not  long  in  changing  their  minds 
and  destination,  and  were  row^ed  ashore,  landing  in 
close  proximity  to  the  cars  on  the  Jersey  side  ;  an 
unnecessary  precaution,  as  it  w^as  ascertained  upon 
reaching  the  wharf  that  the  disquieting  rumor  was 
unfounded.  Indeed,  the  air  was  filled  with  start 
ling  sensations,  improbable  to  a  degree,  yet  impli 
citly  believed  and  widely  circulated  until  they 
became  accepted  as  facts.  It  was  under  these 
circumstances  that  we  arrived  in  New  York,  with 
the  intention  of  spending  two  days  for  the  pur 
pose  of  recuperating  and  replenishing  our  ward 
robe,  which  had  been  depleted  by  the  theft  of  a 
large  chest,  containing  everything  of  value  in 
wearing  apparel  belonging  to  each  member  of  the 
family.  This  box  had  been  prepared  before  leav 
ing  Los  Angeles,  sealed  ready  to  express  from 
San  Francisco  to  New  York,  but  we  were  relieved 
of  all  further  trouble  by  having  it  carried  off  at 
Santa  Barbara,  between  Los  Angeles  and  San 
Francisco,  by  one  of  the  Spanish  women  pas 
sengers.  It  could  have  easily  been  recovered  had 
a  proper  effort  been  made,  but  time  was  not 
allowed  for  the  search. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Arrival  in  Washington — Mr.  Hancock  promoted  to  be  a  Brigadier- 
General — Social  life  in  Washington — Mr.  Stanton — Trying  to 
pass  through  the  lines — Mr.  Dana. 

Al  7ITHOUT  opportunity  or  a  day's  delay  we 
were  required  to  start  for  Washington  on 
the  first  train,  expecting,  from  rumor,  which  grew 
less  plausible  as  we  neared  our  destination,  to  find 
the  Capital,  as  was  then  believed  in  New  York, 
almost  within  the  grasp  of  the  Confederates,  and 
all  bridges  to  the  approach  burned.  We  found, 
on  the  contrary,  the  entire  route  as  calm  as  a 
summer  sea,  but  the  stir  within  Washington  itself 
was  bewildering,  indicating  fully  that  the  strife 
was  in  progress,  and  the  struggle,  it  was  believed, 
would  be  short,  sharp  and  decisive.  Mr.  Hancock 
arrived  in  Washington  with  the  determination  of 
not  remaining  upon  General  Anderson's  staff  as 
Quartermaster,  should  the  Secretary  of  War  still 
intend  that  assignment,  believing  that  he  could 
serve  with  more  distinction  and  efficiency  in  the 
volunteer  service  than  in  the  regular  Army,  in  that 
capacity.  General  McClellan,  however,  that  great 


77 


jS  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

soldier  so  often  misrepresented  and  misjudged, 
soon  heard  of  my  husband's  arrival  in  Washing 
ton,  and  sent  his  chief  of  staff,  General  Marcy,  to 
him,  requesting  that  he  would  remain  quietly  in 
the  hotel  (Willard's)  until  such  time  as  he,  Gen 
eral  McClellan,  would  be  able  to  talk  with  him 
upon  the  subject  of  his  promotion  to  a  brigadier- 
generalcy.  The  General  expressed  his  intention 
to  recommend  Mr.  Hancock  for  this  grade,  and  to 
make  his  request  to  President  Lincoln  without 
delay.  The  leap  from  a  captaincy  to  the  grade  of 
brigadier-general  appeared  incredible,  and  I  so 
expressed  myself  to  an  officer,  himself  a  newly 
fledged  brigadier,  who  replied  :  "  That's  all  right ; 
but  if  a  cannon  were  fired  down  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  it  would  strike  a  hundred  or  more  newly 
created  brigadiers."  This  announcement  some 
what  dampened  the  ardor  and  pride  to  which  I 
had  yielded,  at  what  I  supposed  was  an  exclusive 
compliment  bestowed  upon  Mr.  Hancock  ;  never 
theless,  it  was  a  compliment,  so  recognized  by 
himself  and  friends,  and  greatly  appreciated  for 
the  opportunities  it  afforded,  which  might  have 
been  long  in  coming  had  he  at  once  united  him 
self  with  the  volunteer  service,  and  gone  into  the 
field  as  a  colonel.  This,  however,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  war,  was  the  height  of  his  ambition.  1 
have  often  heard  him  say  that  he  cared  for  no 


GENERAL    HANCOCK.       (TAKEN   DURING    THE   WAR.) 


8o  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

greater  opportunity  than  to  go  into  action  as  the 
colonel  of  a  fine  regiment. 

At  10  o'clock  in  the  evening  on  the  day  of  our 
arrival,  Mr.  Hancock  received  a  summons  from 
General  McClellan  requesting  an  interview,  which 
lasted  until  the  early  hours  of  the  morning.  In 
the  interval  the  air  was  filled  with  martial  sounds, 
and  the  tramp  of  soldiers  bewildered  me  with  the 
apprehension  and  uncertainty  that  this  new  situa 
tion  naturally  produced.  One  of  the  minor  dis 
quietudes  of  that  memorable  night  was  my  effort 
to  keep  at  bay  two  large  rats,  that  were  running 
riot  about  the  room,  and  were  only  driven  off  the 
bed  by  missiles  in  the  shape  of  shoes,  combs, 
brushes,  etc.  My  husband's  return,  writh  a  most 
satisfactory  recital  of  his  prolonged  deliberations, 
and  his  prompt  ejectment  of  my  unwelcome  visit 
ors,  made  a  peaceful  ending  to  a  most  uneasy 
night. 

General  Hancock  was  assigned  to  General 
Baldy  Smith's  division  (Sumner's  corps),  and 
assumed  command  of  his  brigade,  then  stationed 
in  front  of  the  Chain  Bridge  road,  near  Lewins- 
ville.  Then  it  was  that  I  realized  for  the  first 
time  that  the  country  was  involved  in  a  desperate, 
pitiless  struggle  over  the  contemplated  dissolution 
of  the  Union.  The  preparations  at  the  North 
were  on  such  a  gigantic  scale,  and  our  resources 


R UMORS  ABOUT  WA SHING TON.  8 1 

appeared  so  boundless,  that  it  was  the  universal 
opinion  that  thirty  days  would  end  the  rebellion. 
This  result  might  possibly  have  been  attained  in 
six  months  or  a  year,  had  not  incessant  political 
intrigues  interfered  to  hold  back  some  and 
advance  others  who  had  no  claims  to  the  high 
places  assigned  them  other  than  the  influence  of 
their  political  associates. 

In  accordance  with  my  husband's  wishes,  I  took 
a  house  in  Washington  for  the  \vinter,  that  I 
might  readily  reach  him  in  case  he  were  wounded 
in  the  battles  which  were  momentarily  expected. 
The  clouds  were  dark  indeed  which  overhung  our 
country,  and  depression  and  apprehension  filled 
the  hearts  of  all,  as  to  the  probabilities  and  possi 
bilities  of  the  impending  conflict. 

The  Government  was  always  on  the  defensive, 
in  the  belief  that  the  Confederates'  main  object 
was  to  capture  the  Capital.  In  spite  of  excessive 
caution  several  opportunities  for  this  were  af 
forded,  none  of  which  were  taken  advantage  of. 

Still,  the  fear  was  ever  before  us,  with  a  terrify 
ing  apprehension  of  the  results  which  would  fol 
low  such  a  disaster.  The  air  was  full  of  rumors, 
which  sometimes  assumed  tremendous  proportions, 
and^  which  were  too  frequently  credited  by  those 
who  should  have  been  able  to  allay  the  wide 
spread  anxiety. 


82  REMINISCENCES  OF  W IX FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

In  those  soul-stirring  days,  official  and  social 
routine  were  quite  as  exacting — indeed,  more  so — 
than  ordinarily.  Washington  society  was  ex 
tremely  diversified,  frivolous  and  pretentious, 
differing  materially  from  the  brilliant  assemblies 
that  had  graced  the  Capital  City  in  earlier  days. 
One  of  the  principal  events  of  that  winter  was  a 
very  exclusive  ball,  given  by  Mrs.  Lincoln  at  the 
White  House.  Such  an  innovation  upon  estab 
lished  customs  subjected  her  to  severe  criticism 
from  every  quarter.  Nevertheless,  the  ball  was 
given,  and  passed  off  with  great  eclat.  Mrs.  Lin 
coln  was  congratulated  upon  the  spirit  of  inde 
pendence  which  she  inaugurated  in  the  Executive 
Mansion,  and  which  should  have  found  a  place 
there  long  before.  She  had  the  courage  to  emanci 
pate  herself  from  the  limited  routine  of  action  and 
habit  prescribed  for  our  Presidents  and  their 
wives  by  the  populace,  who  religiously  believed 
that  the  whole  establishment,  including  the  body 
and  soul  of  the  President,  belonged  to  them. 

The  invitations  were  to  be  limited  to  the 
Cabinet,  the  Senate,  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and 
the  major-generals  of  the  Army.  Brigadier- 
General  Hancock  and  his  family  were  the  only 
exceptions.  This  was  not  understood  by  ourselves 
or  friends,  until  explained  to  me  by  Mrs.  Lincoln, 
who  expressed  her  gratification  at  the  opportunity 


MR.  LINCOLN'S  CARES.  83 

which  enabled  her  to  return  the  hospitality  and 
attention  that  her  sister  and  other  members  of  her 
family  had  received  from  my  mother  upon  differ 
ent  occasions  when  they  were  visiting  St.  Louis. 
Mr.  Lincoln  rather  demurred  at  first,  but  was 
overruled  by  his  wife,  and  the  invitation  was 
extended.  This  simple  and  unexpected  recognition 
by  Mrs.  Lincoln  quite  won  upon  me.  In  all  the 
sorrows  and  reverses  which  came  to  her  in  after 
years  she  had  my  entire  sympathy,  and  I  have 
always  believed  that  her  subsequent  peculiarities 
were  occasioned  by  a  mind  weakened  from  pro 
longed  anxiety  and  strain. 

Mr.  Lincoln's  careworn  face  I  recall  to-day  as 
vividly  as  then.  At  one  of  his  levees,  in  passing 
him  I  remarked  that  it  would  be  showing  a 
greater  consideration  if  I  were  to  refuse  his  prof 
fered  hand,  as  he  must  be  weary  enough  of  hand 
shaking.  To  this  he  replied,  in  never-to-be-forgot 
ten  tones  :  "  Ah,  if  this  were  all  that  I  was  called 
upon  to  do,  how  willingly  would  it  be  done 
for  all  time  ;  but  to  say  No  to  the  poor  unfortu 
nates  who  come  to  me,  in  the  belief  that  I  am  all- 
powerful  to  pronounce  that  little  word  of  only 
three  letters,  and  who  do  not  and  will  not  under 
stand  that  I  cannot  act  always  as  I  wish,  but  have 
others  to  consult — this  keeps  me  always  unhappy." 

Mr.  Stanton  frequently  said  to  me  :  "  Mr.  Lincoln 


84  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


OBTAINING  A  PASS.  85 

has  the  biggest  heart  of  any  man  in  the  world, 
and  for  that  reason  we  have  to  watch  him,  or  the 
Southern  women,  with  their  winning  ways,  would 
get  his  permission  to  carry  with  them  enough  con 
traband  goods  to  supply  the  Southern  army." 

This  reminds  me  of  an  incident  that  came  under 
my  observation,  and  particularly  interested  me.  I 
was  appealed  to  by  a  lady  to  assist  her  in  procur 
ing  a  pass  to  go  to  Petersburg,  Va.,  to  see  her 
mother,  eighty-five  years  of  age,  who  was  dying 
for  want  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  I  referred  her 
to  Mr.  Montgomery  Blair,  who  was  then  Post- 
master -General  in  Mr.  Lincoln's  Cabinet,  and 
whom  she  well  knew.  He  obtained  from  the  Presi 
dent  the  desired  pass,  and  also  permission  to  take 
with  her  the  articles  on  her  list,  which  were  then 
considered  contraband  of  war.  On  the  following 
morning,  at  an  early  hour,  she  started  on  her  jour 
ney,  rejoicing  at  her  good-fortune  in  obtaining  the 
much  coveted  pass  so  easily,  and  anticipating  the 
joy  that  her  coming  would  bring  to  her  aged 
mother  and  other  dear  ones  who  were  impatiently 
awaiting  her.  Instead  of  these  bright  hopes  being 
realized,  she  was  turned  back  at  Alexandria,  and 
her  pass  torn  up  and  thrown  into  the  waste-basket 
in  her  presence.  No  reason  was  assigned  for  this 
act.  Of  course,  to  me  her  case  seemed  hopeless  ; 
how  could  it  be  otherwise  when  the  consent  of  the 


86  REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

President  of  the  United  States  had  been  so  igno- 
miniously  disregarded  ?  Still,  the  exigency  of  the 
case  demanded  another  effort,  so  I  volunteered  to 
take  advantage  of  an  oft-repeated  invitation  of 
Mr.  Stanton,  to  call  upon  him,  without  hesitation, 
for  favor  or  for  assistance,  should  I  ever  desire  or 
need  it.  In  not  the  most  enviable  frame  of  mind 
did  I  start  out  upon  this  mission  of  mercy,  know 
ing  well  the  inflexibility  of  the  nature  I  had  to 
work  upon.  Yet,  to  my  husband  and  myself  Mr. 
Stanton  had  been  a  consistent  friend,  and  from 
this  fact  I  derived  courage  as  I  proceeded  to  the 
War  Office,  to  inquire  into  the  extraordinary  and 
disrespectful  treatment  of  President  Lincoln's  per 
mit.  I  found  that  Mr.  Stanton  was  at  home,  ill, 
and  my  business  had  to  be  transacted  with  the 
Assistant  Secretary  of  War,  Mr.  Dana.  This  an 
nouncement  did  not  serve  to  give  me  increased 
confidence  in  the  success  of  the  undertaking;  still, 
as  I  had  put  aside  my  prejudice  against  the  inter 
ference  of  women  in  matters  of  a  public  nature,  I 
determined  to  make  my  appeal  to  Mr.  Dana.  He 
received  me  very  graciously,  listened  to  my  story 
with  apparent  interest,  and,  at  its  conclusion, 
assured  me  of  the  utter  impossibility  of  getting 
through  the  lines  either  at  Culpeper  or  Alexan 
dria.  Upon  my  informing  him  that  I  knew  of  per 
sons  going  and  coming  by  way  of  Alexandria  (a 


MR.  DANA'S  COMPLIMENT.  87 

fact  as  well  known  to  others  as  to  myself)  he  refer 
red  me,  for  positive  information,  to  General  Augur, 
then  commanding-  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  the 
belief  that  this  would  practically  dispose  of  the 
matter  which  he  was  unwilling  to  consider  favor 
ably.  General  Augur  could  only  express  his  sur 
prise  that  I  should  have  been  sent  to  him  upon  so 
needless  an  errand.  Thereupon  I  retraced  my 
steps  to  the  War  Department,  only  to  be  informed 
that  Mr.  Dana  was  "  not  in."  Finding  me  resolute, 
and  patient  to  wait  for  his  coming,  however,  he 
returned,  purposing  to  dismiss  the  case  at  once. 
I  was  equally  determined  to  pursue  it;  and  to  make 
short  work  of  this  last  interview,  I  said:  "  Mr.  Dana, 
I  have  returned  to  ask  whether  it  is  your  purpose 
to  grant  me  this  favor.  I  ask  you  but  to  say  Yes 
or  No,  and  I  promise  not  to  give  you  further  trou 
ble."  He  was  going  to  renew  his  previous  argu 
ments,  when  I  interrupted  him,  and  begged  that 
he  would  give  me  an  answer  Yes  or  No.  My 
persistence  doubtless  exasperated  him,  for  turn 
ing  to  me,  and  at  the  same  time  bringing  his  hand 
down  upon  the  table  in  a  most  emphatic  manner, 
he  said,  "  Madam,  if  all  the  men  were  as  deter 
mined  as  you  are,  this  war  would  be  ended  in 
thirty  days."  The  permit  was  given  ;  my  friend 
passed  the  guard,  unquestioned,  and  reached  her 
home  without  further  delay. 


88  AEAILVISCEXCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

A  year  or  more  after,  I  happened  to  mention 
the  incident  to  a  volunteer  officer  who  had  been 
stationed  at  that  very  time  with  the  guard  in  Alex 
andria.  He  did  not  seem  to  regard  the  treatment 
of  Mr.  Lincoln's  pass  as  anything  out  of  the  way ; 
in  fact,  he  said  that  it  was  a  frequent  occurrence. 
Instructions  were  often  received  from  the  War 
Department,  by  telegraph,  to  destroy  the  Presi 
dent's  pass,  No.  1 20  or  300  (as  they  happened  to 
be)  hours  before  the  presentation  of  the  pass. 

I  afterwards  related  the  circumstance  to  Mr. 
Stanton.  He  assumed  a  most  quizzical  expression 
and  manner,  indicating  that  he  considered  it  as 
a  huge  joke,  and  replied,  "  Why  didn't  you  report  it 
to  Mr.  Lincoln  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  should  have  done  so,  "  I  said,  "had 
I  understood  the  enormity  of  the  offence,  at  the 
time.  " 

"  You  remember  what  I  told  you  about  pretty 
faces  and  persuasive  ways,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Lincoln  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  but  surely  you  could  not  have  seen  this 
special  petitioner,  or  you  would  have  been  forced 
to  attribute  some  other  motive  in  this  case  ;  be 
sides,  I  do  not  consider  Mr.  Lincoln  a  phenome 
non  in  this  respect,  nor  is  this  idiosyncrasy,  as  you 
seem  to  regard  it,  an  unusual  failing  in  your  sex. 
My  observation  has  been  quite  the  contrary,  and 


A  LECTURE  FOR  MR.  STANTOtf. 


89 


I  contend  that   there   are    no   exceptions   to   the 
rule." 

Mr.  Stanton  received  my  lecture  in  good  part, 
and  always  remained  our  steadfast  friend.  He 
repeatedly  told  me  to  always  come  to  him  with 
my  complaints  and  grievances,  and  they  would 
receive  prompt  attention,  which  was  proven  upon 
more  than  one  occasion. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  spy  system  during  the  war—  The  battle  of  Williamsburg  —  At 
Fredericksburg  —  Hooker's  remark  before  the  fight  —  Hooker 
replaced  by  Meade  —  The  advance  in  the  direction  of 
Gettysburg  —  General  Hancock  wounded  —  Removed  to  Nor- 
ristown  —  Stanton's  letter  to  General  Hancock  —  Resolution 
passed,  thanking  General  Hancock. 


spy  system  was  so  thoroughly  established 
during  the  war  that  nearly  every  household 
was  invaded  by  one  or  more  in  the  employ  of  the 
Government.  On  two  occasions  were  these  crea 
tures  detected  in  my  own  house.  I  reported  the  fact 
to  Mr.  Stanton,  and  commented  to  him  upon  the  lack 
of  confidence  shown  by  the  Government  towards 
loyal  officers  and  their  families. 

The  capture  of  Generals  Crook  and  Kelly  occur 
red  shortly  after  we  reached  Washington.  Mr. 
Stanton  sent  to  General  Hancock  to  inquire  how 
long  it  would  take  him  to  prepare  a  special  train 
for  the  scene  of  action.  The  reply  was,  "As 
long  as  it  will  take  me  to  reach  the  station."  It 
had  been  our  intention  to  attend  the  Secretary  of 
War's  reception  on  the  following  evening;  my 
husband,  being  prevented  by  his  hasty  departure, 


AT  THE  PRESIDENT'S  RECEPTION,  9! 

requested  that  I  should  go  without  him.  I  did  so. 
After  meeting  our  hostess  I  wandered  into  an  ad 
joining  room,  where  I  met  numerous  friends. 
While  engaged  in  conversation  I  heard  Mr.  Stan- 
ton's  voice  asking,  "Where  is  Mrs.  Hancock?  I 
want  to  see  the  wife  of  that  soldier  who  is  ready 
for  an  order  in  ten  minutes."  He  greeted  me 
most  cordially  and  remarked,  "  If  we  had  more 
such  soldiers,  if  our  generals  were  all  so  ready,  so 
unquestioning  in  obeying  an  order,  what  materials 
we  would  have  for  our  Army."  With  some  ex 
citement,  he  continued,  "  The  friends  of  the  captur 
ed  officers  have  been  to  see  me  about  having  them 
exchanged.  I  replied,  '  Gentlemen,  when  there  are 
only  two  men  left  for  exchange,  then  you  can 
come  and  present  your  appeal. ' '  The  capture  was 
accomplished  by  the  brother  of  the  lady  who  after 
wards  married  General  Crook.  This  gay,  gallant 
cavalier  had  doubtless  ventured  into  the  town,  not 
with  the  expectation  of  securing  such  live  game, 
but  for  a  little  rest  and  refreshment  at  the  hotel, 
which  then  belonged  to  his  father. 

General  Sumner's  corps  embarked  from  Alex 
andria  for  Fort  Monroe,  March  23,  1862.  On  this 
day  my  husband  writes  :  "  I  am  off  at  last,  and  it 
is  a  matter  of  great  pain  to  me  that  I  am  unable 
to  see  you  again  before  we  part — God  alone  knows 
for  how  long.  I  rode  all  last  night,  and  while  i 


9  2  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

rode,  did  not  cease  to  think  of  how  and  where  all 
this  unhappiness  is  to  end." 

The  battle  of  Williamsburg  was  his  first  trium 
phant  success.  With  less  than  2,000  men  he  fought 
and  won  the  action  on  the  right  which  resulted  in 
the  evacuation  of  Williamsburg.  He  wrote  me  : 
11  On  this  occasion  my  men  behaved  beautifully, and 
captured  the  first  color  yet  taken.  My  loss  was 
126  in  killed  and  wounded,  a  great  number  show 
ing  hard  and  determined  fighting." 

An  interval  of  some  months  intervened  between 
Williamsburg  and  Antietam.  General  Hancock 
was  engaged  in  every  battle  up  to  the  time  when 
the  order  was  issued  relieving  General  McClellan, 
and  appointing  General  Burnside  to  the  command 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  An  extract  from  a 
letter  before  me  says:  "The  Army  are  not  satis 
fied  with  the  change,  and  consider  the  treatment  of 
McClellan  most  ungracious  and  inopportune.  Yet 
I  do  not  sympathize  in  the  movement  going  on  to 
resist  the  order.  '  It  is  useless,'  I  tell  the  gentlemen 
around  me.  '  We  are  serving  no  one  man  :  we 
are  serving  our  country. ' ' 

At  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  which  soon 
followed  this  change  of  commanders,  General  Han 
cock  again  lost  heavily,  and  narrowly  escaped  be 
ing  killed.  "  We  went  into  action  to-day,  but  did 
not  gain  the  works  we  sought,  although  we  held 


A  LETTER  FROM  THE  BATTLE-FIELD.  93 

all  the  positions  we  gained.  I  had  three  of  my 
staff  wounded  yesterday,  and  four  of  their  horses 
killed.  I  had  one  bullet  through  my  overcoat, 
just  escaping  my  abdomen  ;  one-half  inch  more 
and  I  would  have  had  a  fatal  wound.  Out  of  the 
5,700  men  I  carried  into  action,  I  have  this  morn 
ing  in-line  but  1,450.  Out  of  seventeen  regiments 
of  my  command,  there  are  but  three  or  four  com 
manders  who  are  not  killed  or  wounded.  In  one 
regiment  two  officers  are  left.  In  one  brigade  the 
general  officers  and  all  the  field-officers,  except  one, 
in  six  regiments  were  killed  or  wrounded.  It  was  a 
desperate  undertaking,  and  the  army  fought  hard." 
Shortly  after  this  Burnside  wras  relieved,  and 
General  Hooker  appointed  by  the  President  in  his 
place.  These  frequent  changes  had  a  most  dis 
heartening  influence  upon  the  troops,  and  the 
failure  at  Chancellorsville  was  not  calculated  to 
give  increased  confidence  in  Hooker's  ability. 
General  Hancock  wrote  me  the  following  lines  on 
the  battle  of  the  first  day  : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC, 

"May  4,  1863,  6  o'clock  A.  M. 
"MY  DEAR  WIFE  : 

"  I  have  had  no  time  to  write  to  you  the  last  day  or  two.  I 
have  sent  two  dispatches  to  you  on  the  2d  and  30!.  We  have 
had  tremendous  fighting  at  Chancellorsville.  The  losses  on  both 
sides  are  very  heavy,  more  so  than  aiiy  battle  of  the  war.  The 
battle  is  not  through  yet  by  a  long  ways.  I  am  unhurt,  though 


g4  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINF1ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

I  was  struck  several  times  with  small  fragments  of  shells,  and 
had  my  horse  killed  under  me.  John  is  unhurt.  My  horse  was 
shot  twice.  My  division  did  well.  General  Hays  was  wounded 
twice.  Canall's  command  did  well. 

"  We  will,  I  suppose,  have  another  fight  to-day. 

"  Kiss  my  dear  children  for  me,  and  believe  me  to  be,  as  ever, 
your  "  Fond  husband, 

"WINFIKLD  S.  HANCOCK. 
"  To  Mrs.  W.  S.  Hancock,  Cameron,  Mo.  " 

My  husband  writes  : 

"  I  do  not  know  what  will  be  the  next  turn  of  the  wheel  of 
Fortune,  or  what  Providence  has  in  store  for  this  unhappy  army. 
I  have  had  the  blues  ever  since  I  returned  from  the  campaign. 
I  will  send  you  a  more  complete  account  of  this  battle  soon.  We 
get  the  Chronicle  and  Inquirer  daily:  they  are  filled  with  inaccu 
racies.  We  are  not  allowed  to  have  the  New  York  papers.  They 
may  not  contain  more  truth,  and  I  suppose  they  have  some  at 
tacks  against  the  Government.  I  am  told  that  some  of  the  New 
York  papers  recommend  General  —  —  and  General  — 

for  the  command  of  the  Army.  That  would  be  too  much.  I 
should  ask  to  be  relieved  at  once.  I  cannot  stand  any  more  in 
flictions  of  this  kind.  I  have  not  recovered  from  our  last  failure, 
which  should  have  been  a  brilliant  victory.  Hooker  had  two 
large  corps  (Meade's  and  Reynolds' s),  which  had  not  been  en 
gaged.  He  was  implored  to  put  them  into  action  at  10  o'clock 
on  Sunday,  when  the  enemy  had,  apparently,  used  up  all  their 
troops.  He  would  not  do  it.  Now  the  blame  is  to  be  put  on 
Sedgwick  for  not  joining  us;  as  if  it  were  possible  to  do  so  with 
one  corps,  when  we  had  six  corps,  and  this  force  was  not  consid 
ered  strong  enough  to  attempt  to  unite  with  Sedgwick,  without 
risk  to  the  command.  But  it  seems  that  Providence  for  some 
wise  purpose  intended  our  defeat.  The  day  before  the  fight 
Hooker  said  to  a  general  officer,  '  God  Almighty  could  not  pre 
vent  me  from  winning  a  victory  to-morrow.'  Pray,  could  we 
expect  a  victory  after  that  ?  He  also  told  Mr.  Lincoln  that  he 
would  either  win  a  victory  or  be  in  hell.  The  President  told  him 


CARR  Y  PLENTY  OF  WA  TER: 


95 


to  '  carry  plenty  of  water  along.'  Success  cannot  come  to  us 
through  such  profanity.  I  regret  I  cannot  ask  now  for  leave;  no 
general  officer  is  allowed  a  leave  of  absence.  General  Couch 
asked  for  one,  but  was  refused.  I  understand  that  the  opinion 
of  officers  high  in  rank,  at  this  time,  would  be  unpalatable. 
Hooker's  day  is  over.  I  have  been  approached  again  in  con 
nection  with  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Give 
yourself  no  uneasiness — under  no  conditions  would  I  accept  the 
command.  I  do  not  belong  to  that  class  of  generals  whom  the 
Republicans  care  to  bolster  up.  I  should  be  sacrificed." 

His  purpose,  as  expressed  to  me  many  times, 
and  his  only  ambition,  was  to  fight  his  battles 
successfully,  that  he  might  gain  the  full  confi 
dence  of  his  soldiers,  and  receive  the  approbation 
of  the  army  in  which  he  was  serving.  That  was 
glory  enough. 

It  is  impossible  to  particularize  the  many  points 
of  interest  involved,  concerning  the  movements 
of  General  Hancock  in  connection  with  this  grand 
army.  It  is  not  my  purpose,  except  here  and  there, 
to  portray  the  obstacles  which  he,  as  well  as  others, 
had  to  encounter. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1863,  General  Meade  re 
ceived  orders  to  relieve  General  Hooker  of  the 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  ad 
vanced  in  the  direction  of  Gettysburg.  A  vivid 
account  of  the  battle  that  ensued,  written  by  my 
husband's  chief  of  staff,  General  Morgan,  and  veri 
fied  as  to  the  facts  by  General  Hancock  himself, was 
found  among  his  wrar  papers,  and  is  appended  to 


06  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S,  HANCOCK. 


BRIGADIER  GENERAL    C    H.  MORGAN, 
MEMBER  OF  GENERAL  HANCOCK'S   WAR  STAFF. 


THE  TELEGRAM  FROM  GETTYSBURG.  97 

these  reminiscences.*     I  will  attempt  no  further 
account  here. 

At  that  time  I  was  visiting  my  mother  in  St. 
Louis.  On  the  morning  of  July  3  General  Han 
cock  telegraphed  me  from  the  battle-field  ( as 
was  his  custom  each  day  while  the  action  lasted), 
"  I  am  all  right,  so  far."  A  few  hours  afterwards  he 
sent  me  the  second  despatch,  while  lying  upon  the 
battle-field  desperately — and  presumably,  fatally- 
wounded.  This  telegram  read  :  "  I  am  severely 
wounded,  not  mortally.  Join  me  at  once  in  Phila 
delphia.  Parker  and  Miller,  I  fear,  are  gone  up." 
The  surgeon  objected  to  its  wording,  and  asked 
permission  to  send  one  conveying  intelligence  of 
his  critical  condition,  but  General  Hancock  would 
not  permit  the  change,  in  view  of  the  long  journey 
before  me,  and  the  unhappiness  that  would  result 
from  knowing  the  full  truth.  After  reaching  Phila 
delphia  the  heat  was  found  insupportable,  and  it 
was  desirable  to  have  my  husband  removed  to  his 
father's  home  at  Norristown ;  but  thirty  days 
elapsed  before  his  surgeons  considered  it  prudent 
to  permit  the  change.  In  the  interval  his  wound 
showed  no  signs  of  healing,  and  his  discomfort  in 
creased  rather  than  diminished.  Not  the  least  of 
these  was  the  apparent  utter  forgetfulness  of  his 


See  Appendix  A. 


g  8  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

presence  in  the  city,  and  that  of  two  of  his  gallant 
staff-officers,  who  were  in  a  condition  as  critical  as 
his  own,  from  wounds  received  at  the  same  time. 
Gay  bands  of  music,  followed  by  cheering,  exult 
ant  crowds,  would  nightly  pass  his  hotel  without 
a  sign  of  recognition,  but  heaping  upon  General 
Meade's  family  the  entire  honor  of  that  victory, 
which  saved  Pennsylvania  and  the  Nation.  This 
oversight,  though  deeply  felt  by  him,  he  considered 
very  natural,  as  General  Meade  was  the  command 
er  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  while  the  roar 
of  the  battle  still  swelled  the  air,  it  was  to  him  the 
populace  wished  to  express  their  gratitude.  Thus, 
in  his  charitable,  generous  heart  did  my  husband 
find  excuses,  when  some  expression  of  bitterness 
would  have  been  pardonable.  There  were  a  few 
friends,  however,  who  gathered  around  him  to 
testify,  in  a  most  touching  manner,  their  sympathy, 
admiration  and  regard,  the  recollection  of  which 
was  always  cherished  by  him.  After  it  became 
evident  to  General  Hancock's  surgeons,  Drs. Agnew 
and  McClellan,  that  his  wound  was  not  healing  as 
readily  as  it  ought,  with  the  careful  attention  be 
stowed,  they  decided  to  have  him  removed  to  his 
father's  home,  sixteen  miles  from  Philadelphia, 
believing  that  strength  and  vigor  would  sooner 
come  to  him  than  it  could  possibly  under  the 
torrid  heat,  which  had  been  continuous  throughout 


REMOVED  TO  NORRISTOWN.  99 

that  memorable  July  of  1863,  and   to  which  was 
attributed   his   slow,   weary  convalescence.      This 
was  not  the  only  cause,  which  was  afterwards  prov 
en  by  the  extraction  of  a  "  minie-ball "  found  to  be 
imbedded  eight    inches   in   the   thigh,  and   which 
failed  to  manifest  itself  until  a  probe  was  procured 
that  would  reach  the    full    depth    of   the    wound. 
When  it  became  known  that  it  was  General  Han 
cock's  intention  to  leave  the  city,  the  firemen  vol 
unteered  to  transport  him  from  the  hotel  La  Piere 
to  the  car  that  had  been  provided  for  this  purpose, 
without  injury  to  the  invalid.     Well  did  they  per 
form  this  service.     They  presented   themselves   in 
full  regalia  at  the  time  appointed  for  the  journey, 
and  in  a  tender,  impressive  manner,  conveyed  him, 
worn  and  shattered,   but    without    fatigue,   to  the 
Philadelphia  depot.     When  he  arrived    at   Norris- 
town,  a  detachment  of  the  Invalid  Guards  were  in 
waiting,  besides   a  large   concourse   of  people,  to 
receive  him.     The  Guards  carefully  bore  him  along 
the  street  to  his  father's  home.     There  he  had  every 
surgical  attention;   and  with  a  strong  constitution, 
it  was  not  long  before  his  strength  revived,  and 
convalescence  came  slowly   but   surely.       Shortly 
after  General   Hancock's  removal  to  Norristown 
Mr.  Stanton  telegraphed  him  to  name  his  successor 
to  the  command  of  the  Second  Corps  during  his  ab 
sence.     General   Warren  was  indicated,   and  was 


IOO          REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  II A  K  COCK. 

at  once  placed  in  command.  Following  the  des 
patch  came  a  letter  from  Mr.  Stanton,  expressing 
much  concern  and  sympathy  for  the  General, 
which  is  here  given,  and  needs  no  comment. 

"WASHINGTON  CITY,  August  5,  1863. 

"WAR  DEPARTMENT. 
" DEAR  GENERAL : 

"  1  hope  you  are  recovering  from  your  severe  wound.  Of 
the  many  gallant  officers  wounded  on  the  great  field  of  Gettys 
burg,  no  one  has  more  sincerely  my  sympathy,  confidence  and 
respect  than  yourself.  We  felt  that  the  blow  that  struck  you 
down  was  a  heavy  and  disastrous  one  to  the  country,  but  rejoice 
that  your  life  was  spared,  and  that  you  were  not  among  the  list 
of  those  whose  loss  we  deplore. 

"Yours  truly, 

"EDWIN  M.  STANTON." 

One  of  the  most  gratifying  evidences  of  affec 
tion  from  his  own  towns-people,  and  one  which 
he  always  referred  to  with  unmistakable  pride, 
was  a  service  of  gold  and  silver  plate,  containing 
nine  pieces,  which  was  presented  to  him  in  the 
following  year,  bearing  this  inscription:  "To 
Major  -  General  Winfield  Scott  Hancock,  from 
citizens  of  his  birthplace,  Norristown,  Montgom 
ery  County,  Penn.,  July  4,  1864."  The  recipient 
of  this  testimonial  regarded  it  as  an  inestimable 
assurance  of  the  regard  in  which  they  held  him, 
and  he  never  ceased  to  labor  that  they  should  not 
be  disappointed,  nor  their  confidence  in  him  be 
impaired. 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 

General  Hancock  proceeded  to  our  country 
home,  Longwood,  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  as  soon  as 
he  was  able  to  make  the  journey,  there  to  await 
full  recovery  before  joining"  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  After  six  weeks'  delay,  \vhich  he  oc 
cupied  in  trimming  the  forest  trees  on  the  lawn 
and  planting  others,  always  a  delight  to  him,  he 
started  for  Washington  to  join  his  corps  as  soon 
as  he  was  able  to  throw  away  his  crutches.  His 
wround  was  still  unhealed,  and  he  was  unable  to 
ride  a  horse  for  a  year  after  the  extraction  of  the 
bullet.  The  minie-ball  which  had  imbedded  itself 
eight  inches  in  the  thigh  was  not  cut  out  until  two 
months  after  the  battle.  Through  the  Wilderness, 
and  other  fights  following,  he  would  leave  the 
ambulance,  mount  his  horse,  and  go  through  to 
the  end  without  complaint,  yet  wrote:  "  I  suffer 
agony  on  these  occasions,  but  must  go  into  action 
on  horseback  or  ask  to  be  relieved.  Can't  you 
secure  me  a  bandage  of  some  sort  in  New  York 
that  will  give  me  assistance  ?"  None,  however, 
could  be  found  ;  thus  he  had  to  suffer  until  he 
asked  to  be  relieved. 

One  year  afterwards,  in  February,  1864,  the 
Select  and  Common  Councils  of  Philadelphia 
passed  resolutions  thanking  Mr.  Hancock  for  his 
brilliant  services  in  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and 
placing  Independence  Hall  at  his  disposal  for  a 


IO2          REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 

reception  by  his  friends,  thus  affording  them  an 
opportunity  to  testify  their  personal  regard  and 
appreciation  of  his  gallantry  and  patriotism. 
These  resolutions  were  transmitted  to  him  and 
accepted.  The  Senate  and  House  of  Representa 
tives,  by  joint  resolution,  also  extended  the  thanks 
of  Congress  to  Major  -  General  Winfield  Scott 
Hancock  for  his  gallant,  meritorious  and  con 
spicuous  share  in  the  great  and  decisive  victory 
of  Gettysburg.  About  the  same  time  the  Union 
League  of  Philadelphia  presented  General  Hancock 
with  a  handsome  silver  medal  in  commemoration 
of  his  eminent  public  services.  But  subsequent  to 
the  promulgation  of  his  Order  No.  40  in  New 
Orleans,  this  august  body,  forgetting  his  loyalty 
and  services,  considered  his  portrait,  which  hung 
in  their  Club,  unworthy  of  the  place  it  had  occu 
pied,  and  consigned  it  to  the  garret.  General 
Hancock  never  forgot  this  treatment  of  his  coun 
terpart.  The  Union  League  Club  in  New  York 
City  pursued  a  similar  course. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Episode  at  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania.  — Recruiting  a  Veteran 
Corps— News  of  Lincoln's  Assassination — General  Hancock's 
relations  to  the  trial  and  execution  of  Mrs.  Surratt — Head 
quarters  removed  to  Baltimore — Trip  to  the  Battle-field  of 
Gettysburg. 

r^  ENERAL  HANCOCK  reported  for  duty  as 
commander  of  the  Second  Corps  on  Dec 
ember  15,  1863,  five  months  after  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg".  General  Grant  was  then  in  com 
mand  of  all  the  Federal  forces,  including-  the  Army 
cf  the  Potomac.  At  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  an 
interesting  episode  occurred  which  is  worth  relat 
ing.  A  portion  of  it  is  correctly  told  by  the  Rev. 
D.  X.  Junkin,  D.  D.,  in  his  life  of  General  Hancock. 
When  Johnson's  division  was  captured  by  the 
Second  Corps,  including  4,000  prisoners,  twenty 
pieces  of  artillery,  with  horses  and  caissons,  and  sev 
eral  thousand  stand  of  small-arms,  besides  thirty 
battle  flags,  among  the  prisoners  captured  were 
Major-General  Edward  Johnson,  a  classmate  and 
close  friend  of  my  husband,  and  Brigadier-General 
George  Stuart.  Johnson,  after  the  capture,  with 
tears  in  his  eyes,  threw  his  arms  around  Mr. 


104          REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Hancock  and  exclaimed  :  "  This  is  d—  — d  bad 
luck  ;  yet  I  would  rather  have  had  this  good  fortune 
fall  to  you  than  to  any  other  man  living-." 

General  Hancock  invited  him  to  his  tent,  say 
ing  he  would  soon  join  him.  Then  approaching 
General  Stuart  with  extended  hand,  intending  to 
offer  the  same  civilities  to  him,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  comfort  him  with  news  of  his  wife,  whom 
he  had  met  but  a  short  time  before  in  Washing 
ton,  he  said  cordially,  "  How  are  you,  Stuart  ?" 
With  great  haughtiness  the  latter  replied,  "  I  am 
General  Stuart,  of  the  Confederate  Army,  and 
under  present  circumstances  I  decline  to  take 
your  hand."  "  And  under  any  other  circumstan 
ces,  General  Stuart,  I  should  not  have  offered  it. 
You  should  not  have  put  an  affront  upon  me  in 
the  presence  of  my  officers  and  soldiers." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Johnson  enjoyed 
advantages  over  Stuart  in  more  ways  than  one. 
Johnson  related  to  General  Hancock  how  the  cap 
ture  occurred,  but  did  not  admit  that  he  was  sur 
prised  by  the  Union  forces  on  the  morning  of  the 
1 2th.  He  stated  that  he  was  expecting  their  attack, 
and  had  called  his  men  up  earlier  than  usual,  to  be 
ready  for  them.  They  had  a  short  time  before  been 
dismissed  from  the  ranks,  and  were  cooking  break 
fast  when  the  advance  was  made.  A  few  years 
ago  Johnson  died,  leaving  to  my  husband  his 


GENERAL    W.  G.  MITCHELL, 

MEMBER   OF   GENERAL  HANCOCK'S   WAR    STAFF. 


IO6          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

jewel-hiked  sword,  which  had  been  presented  to 
him  by  the  State  of  Virginia,  and  carried  by  him 
during  the  war. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day,  November  26,  1864, 
General  Hancock  was  detached  from  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  for  the  purpose  of  recruiting  a 
veteran  corps.  Mr.  Lincoln  selected  him,  as  Mr. 
Stanton  personally  informed  me,  in  the  belief  that 
he  would  be  more  influential  in  inducing  veterans 
whose  terms  of  service  had  expired,  and  who  were 
unemployed,  to  re-enlist  in  the  army.  He  was 
very  successful  in  recruiting  this  organization, 
which  was  called  the  First  Veteran  Corps.  His 
headquarters  were  first  in  Washington,  after 
wards  at  Winchester,  Va.;  his  entire  force  includ 
ing  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah,  amounting  to 
one  hundred  thousand  men.  His  assignment  to 
this  command  was  insisted  upon  by  Mr.  Stanton. 

The  day  preceding  the  assassination  of  Mr.  Lin 
coln,  I  received  a  despatch  from  General  Hancock 
asking  that  I  would  join  him  at  Winchester  on  the 
following  day,  and  stating  that  if  I  were  prepared 
to  do  so,  I  would  find  an  escort  in  Baltimore,  and 
a  special  train  in  readiness  to  leave  there  at  9 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  complied  with  this  re 
quest,  passing  the  night  in  Baltimore,  that  I  might 
be  enabled  to  make  the  early  start  necessary. 

The  following  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  I  des- 


FIRS  T  NE  WS  OF  LINCOLN ' S  A SSA  SSINA  TION.         \  Q  / 

cendecl  to  the  breakfast-room  at  Barnum's  Hotel 
unconscious  of  the  terrible  revelations  that  awaited 
me.  I  observed  an  unusual  silence  throughout 
the  house,  and  a  total  lack  of  attention  on  the  part 
of  the  servants.  It  was  soon  explained,  and  the 
universal  fear  and  dismay  seized  upon  me,  and 
those  with  me,  no  one  knowing-  what  dire  results 
would  follow.  By  special  permit  the  car  designed 
for  my  family,  consisting  of  five  persons,  was  al 
lowed  to  leave  Baltimore  for  the  Relay  House. 
At  that  place  all  trains,  coming  and  going,  were 
detained  and  searched  for  the  assassin  of  President 
Lincoln.  For  six  hours  we  were  delayed,  in  a 
terrific  storm,  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
but  at  last,  after  pleading  with  him  by  means  of 
the  telegraph,  for  permission  to  join  my  husband, 
he  granted  it,  provided  the  car  was  not  permitted 
to  stop  for  one  instant  en  route  to  Winchester,  an 
order  that  was  implicitly  obeyed.  On  the  same 
night  General  Hancock  was  awakened  at  2  o'clock 
by  a  summons  to  repair  at  once  to  Washington. 
And  at  an  early  hour  all  was  bustle  and  confusion, 
preparatory  to  the  execution  of  this  order.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day  we  were  retracing  our 
way  to  Washington. 

General  Hancock  being  the  military  commander 
of  the  district,  his  orders  were  to  contribute  in 
every  manner  to  allay  the  alarm  that  was  so  wide- 


IO8         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

spread,  and  take  measures  to  meet  the  peril  that 
every  public  man  felt  surrounded  him.  The  con 
dition  of  affairs  and  the  responsibilities  that  had 
been  placed  in  his  keeping  were  far  from  being 
agreeable.  His  orders  directed  special  attention 
to  the  employment  of  an  adequate  force  in  the  ar 
rest  of  the  persons  engaged  in  the  murder  of 
President  Lincoln,  taking  all  proper  means  for 
their  detection,  and  to  report  to  the  Secretary  of 
War  daily  for  instructions.  The  proclamation  that 
was  issued  about  that  time,  calling  upon  the 
negroes  to  arm  and  assist  in  hunting  down  the 
President's  assassin,  was  really  written  by  Attorney- 
General  Holt  and  Mr.  Stanton,  and  only  published 
formally  over  the  Commanding  Officer's  signature. 
This  proclamation  Montgomery  Blair  maliciously 
endeavored  to  use  as  an  argument  against  General 
Hancock's  nomination  in  1868. 

The  attempt  to  make  General  Hancock  in  any 
way  responsible  for  the  trial  and  execution  of  Mrs. 
Surratt  is  as  unfair  a  charge  as  any  man  has  ever 
been  called  upon  to  meet,  and  he  never  cared  to  dis 
cuss  it,  so  obvious  to  all  intelligent  and  fair-minded 
people  did  he  consider  its  injustice.  The  troops, 
one  hundred  thousand  men,  were  under  his  entire 
control,  including  those  that  guarded  the  prisoners. 
All  orders  came  to  him  from  the  Secretary  of  War, 
and  through  him  to  General  Hartranft,  who  was 


GENERAL  HANCOCK  AND  MRS.  SURRATT. 

the  Governor  of  the  Military  prison,  and  who  had 
immediate  charge  of  the  prisoners  and  gave  the 
verbal  orders  for  the  execution.  General  Hancock 
never  understood  why  he  should  be  held  respon 
sible  for  that  unhappy  execution,  as  cruel  a  spectacle 
as  ever  stained  the  escutcheon  of  a  Nation. 
President  Johnson  was  wholly  responsible  for  it. 
Not  once,  but  many  times,  did  my  husband  urge 
upon  the  President  unanswerable  reasons  for 
granting  a  pardon.  He  would  reply  that  he  could 
not.  The  execution  was  demanded  by  many  prom 
inent  men  of  his  party;  and  a  portion  of  his  Cab 
inet  were  as  uncompromising  as  the  others.  The 
question  has  many  times  been  asked,  and  remained 
unanswered,  "  Why  did  General  Hancock  consider 
it  necessary  to  be  present  at  the  execution?"  For 
the  important  reason  that  Miss  Surratt  had  gone 
to  the  President  at  the  last  moment,  by  his  advice, 
to  plead  for  a  pardon  for  her  mother,  and  it  was 
hoped  up  to  the  last  moment  that  a  reprieve  would 
come.  This  fact  necessitated  his  presence  at  the 
Arsenal,  to  receive  it  from  his  couriers,  stationed  at 
intervals  along  the  route  from  the  White  House  to 
the  Arsenal,  in  order  that,  if  the  President  relented 
and  granted  a  reprieve,  not  a  moment  would  be 
lost  in  reaching  him. 

To   hold    General  Hancock  responsible  for  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Surratt  \vas  absurd.    His  connection 


I  i  o          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

with  the  affair  was  purely  military  and  official,  and 
such  personal  interference  as  it  was  proper  for 
him  to  undertake  was  all  in  the  direction  of  a 
reprieve.  To  the  Court  that  tried  Mrs.  Surratt  be 
longs  the  odium,  and  the  President,  Secretary  of 
War  and  Judge  -  Advocate  -  General  may  all  be 
criticized  for  the  part  they  took  in  carrying  out  the 
decree  of  the  commission. 

On  July  31,  1865,  General  Hancock's  headquar 
ters  were  removed  to  Baltimore,  the  Military 
Division  having  been  discontinued  and  the  Middle 
Military  Department  established.  In  a  conversation 
with  Mr.  Stanton  after  the  issuing  of  this  order,  he 
assigned  as  a  reason  for  giving  this  command  to 
General  Hancock,  that  in  his  opinion  the  Gen 
eral  was  best  adapted  to  restore  confidence  and  a 
more  kindly  feeling  among  the  majority  of  the 
citizens  than  then  existed,  as  the  Baltimoreans 
were  in  a  chronic  condition  of  exasperation  against 
the  North,  and  he  believed  General  Hancock's 
administration,  if  managed  as  he  knew  it  would 
be,  would  soon  promote  a  better  condition  of  af 
fairs. 

In  this  he  was  mistaken.  Many  civilities  were 
extended  by  General  Hancock  to  the  Southern  as 
well  as  to  the  loyal  social  element,  but  every 
overture  was  rejected. 

One  reason  was  assigned  by  a  party  of  South- 


COLONEL  J.    W.    PARKER, 

MEMBER   OF   GENERAL   HANCOCK'S    WAR    STAFF. 


I  I  2          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

ern  ladies,  whom  I  overheard  saying,  when  asked 
if  it  was  their  intention  to  attend  General 
Hancock's  reception :  "  No,  indeed;  how  can  you 
expect  oil  and  water  to  mix  ?" 

Nevertheless,  we  enjoyed  the  station,  and  left 
Baltimore  at  the  expiration  of  the  year  with  many 
regrets,  for  in  that  time  my  husband  and  I  cemented 
friendships  that  have  since  been  highly  valued. 

During  our  stay  in  Baltimore  General  Hancock 
projected  a  very  charming  and  most  interesting 
trip  to  the  battle-field  of  Gettysburg,  inviting 
many  prominent  citizens  of  the  place  and  their 
families  to  accompany  us.  Horses  were  provided, 
and  taken  along  for  both  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
in  order  that  every  foot  of  the  ground  might  be  gone 
over  by  those  interested  in  that  great  and  decisive 
battle.  The  cavalcade  included  most  of  the  party 
at  the  start,  led  by  the  General  and  his  officers  who 
were  with  him  during  that  battle ;  but  it  was  not 
a  great  while  before  our  strength  diminished,  a 
result  due  to  the  great  heat  and  the  fatigue  of  so 
long  a  ride  by  those  unaccustomed  to  such  exercise. 
Arriving  at  the  base  of  Big  Round  Top,  its  for 
midable  ascent  decided  all  the  party  but  myself, 
General  Mitchell  and  Colonel  Wilson,  aides-de 
camp  of  General  Hancock,  to  abandon  the  field  and 
return  to  the  hotel  for  dinner.  We  rode  to  the 
top  and  down  again,  making  a  complete  inspection 
of  th^  entire  battle-field. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  Missouri — Troubles  with  the 
Indians — A  stolen  Cheyenne  chief — The  big  chief  of  the  house 
— An  Indian  fight — Ordered  to  New  Orleans  to  command  the 
Fifth  Military  District. 

OHORTLY  after  this,  orders  were  received  re 
lieving-  General  Hancock  from  the  Middle 
Military  Department  and  transferring  him  to  the 
Department  of  the  Missouri,  in  spite  of  Mr.  Stan- 
ton's  assurances  that  we  were  to  remain  in  Balti 
more  as  long  as  it  was  agreeable,  and  that  it  was 
best  for  us  to  make  ourselves  perfectly  comfort 
able,  which  we  had  to  do  at  a  heavy  cost.  The 
headquarters  of  the  Department  of  the  Missouri 
had  always  been  in  St.  Louis,  so  that  we  felt  some 
what  compensated  for  the  sacrifice  we  were  called 
upon  to  make  in  relinquishing  our  home  in  Balti 
more.  But  other  difficulties  presented  themselves, 
when  General  Hancock  reported  to  General 
Sherman,  who  had  selected  St.  Louis  for  his  Divi 
sion  headquarters.  In  his  (Sherman's)  opinion 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  was  the  proper  place 
for  Department  headquarters,  and  he  assigned  as 


I  1 4         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK', 

a  reason  that  our  territorial  field  had  become  too 
extensive  for  the  headquarters  to  longer  remain 
in  St.  Louis.  Though  his  views  may  have  been 
correct,  they  were  not  convincing-  enough  to  con 
vert  my  husband  to  his  way  of  thinking,  but  the 
order  was,  of  course,  promptly  obeyed,  and  once 
more  we  established  a  home,  delightful  in  every 
particular.  But  again  it  was  not  accorded  us  long 
to  enjoy  it. 

During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1866  the  Indians 
in  the  Department  of  the  Missouri  became  turbu 
lent.  Depredations  were  committed  daily,  stages 
were  stopped  and  robbed,  dwellings  burned  and 
settlers  murdered,  until  it  became  necessary  to 
take  measures  to  avert  a  general  war.  With  this 
view  General  Hancock  was  directed  by  General 
Sherman  to  notify  the  Indians  that  there  must  be 
war  or  peace,  but  the  outrages  must  cease.  In 
March,  1876,  in  compliance  with  this  order,  the 
General  marched  to  Fort  Larned,  Kansas. 

A  short  time  before  starting  on  this  expedi 
tion,  General  Hancock  was  ordered  by  the  authori 
ties  at  Washington  to  take  charge  of  and  to 
restore  to  the  Cheyenne  tribe,  an  Indian  boy, 
who  with  his  sister  were  the  only  survivors  of 
the  Chittenden  massacre.  The  Indians  asserted 
that  this  boy  was  then  the  heir  to  the  chief 
tainship  of  their  tribe.  The  children  were 


A  LOST  INDIAN  CHIEF.  \  \  5 

babies  at  the  time  of  their  capture,  and  for 
several  years  their  whereabouts  were  unknown. 
When  search  commenced,  after  the  demand  had 
been  made  by  their  tribe,  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  boy  had  been  turned  over  to  a  roving 
circus  company,  by  a  sergeant  who  had  taken 
charge  of  the  children  after  the  battle,  and  that 
the  little  girl  had  died  some  time  before.  At 
this  time  the  boy  was  only  seven  years  old,  and 
bore  the  name  of  Wilson  Graham.  Instinctively, 
this  little  fellow  felt  degraded  by  his  association 
with  the  circus,  and  would  fly  into  a  passion,  with 
murderous  intent  depicted  upon  his  face,  when 
ever  mention  was  made  of  this  part  of  his  history, 
or  when  called  upon  to  personate  Napoleon, 
George  Washington,  or  other  notable  characters, 
which  were  among  the  roles  he  had  to  fill  in  the 
show;  nor  could  he  be  induced  by  bribery  or  other 
means  to  give  information  concerning  the  men 
from  whom  he  had  been  taken,  but  was  emphatic 
in  the  expression,  which  was  all  he  ever  ventured 
to  say  :  "They  are  bad,  wicked  men.  I  want  the 
General  to  kill  them  with  his  big  guns."  The  conclu 
sion  was  evident  that  this  child  had  been  cruelly 
treated  by  these  people,  and  he  was  afraid  to 
inform  upon  them.  In  his  manner  and  the  atten 
tion  he  demanded  at  all  times,  his  self-importance 
was  plainly  discernible.  He  rebelled  openly 


I  i  6         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

against  being  served  at  meal-times  at  a  separate 
table,  and  abstained  from  eating  for  some  time, 
until  he  found  that  we  were  obdurate,  and  that  he 
would  not  be  permitted  to  sit  at  the  same  table 
with  the  family.  It  was  long  before  I  could  bring 
him  under  subjection,  which,  with  his  savage 
nature,  became  necessary  in  the  absence  of  General 
Hancock,  whom  he  alone  considered  supreme, 
within  and  without.  Upon  one  occasion,  while 
handling  his  knife  in  a  threatening  manner  with  my 
children,  and  especially  towards  a  negro  boy  whom 
he  had  cowed  into  abject  submission,  I  was  com 
pelled  to  take  his  knife  from  him,  which  he  resisted 
most  wrathfully,  and  otherwise  to  inflict  punish 
ment,  which  he  resented  by  threats  of  my  immedi 
ate  extermination.  In  the  midst  of  the  melee  the 
General  put  in  an  appearance,  when  Wilson  com 
plained  that  his  woman  said  that  she  was  going  to 
cut  off  their  ears,  and  asked,  "Now  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  her  ?  " 

At  this  announcement  the  General  affected  to 
to  be  much  alarmed,  and  replied  that  he  was 
afraid  to  do  anything  to  me,  for  I  would  surely 
cut  off  their  ears  if  I  wished  to,  and  he  could  not 
prevent  it,  as  I  was  the  big  Chief  in  the  house. 
He  said,  "  Every  one  has  to  obey  her."  This  tact 
was  timely,  and  saved  further  discipline. 

Wilson  was  very  imitative,  and  would  wait  for 


GENERAL   HENRY   H.   BINGHAM, 

MEMBER    OF    GENERAL    HANCOCK'S    WAR    STAFF. 


SIGNS  OF  INDIAN  BLOOD. 


117 


the  dinner-hour,  when  he  would  follow  me  to  my 
room,  and  watch  with  apparent  curiosity  any 
changes  of  costume,  not  understanding  the  object 
of  my  taking  off  one  dress  and  donning  another, 
according  to  his  notion  not  so  fine  as  the  bright 
robe  de  chambre  discarded.  He  caught  the  idea 
at  once  when  the  reasons  were  explained,  and 
began  doing  likewise  in  spite  of  all  remonstrances. 
Unfortunately  he  boasted  of  but  one  suit  off  (and 
that  much  worn)  and  the  best  one  on.  The 
change,  therefore,  in  his  case,  was  out  of  the  ques 
tion  and  utterly  useless.  But  he  was  not  to  be 
cheated  out  of  this  evident  satisfaction,  though  he 
well  knew  that  he  would  be  forced  in  a  short  time 
to  resume  his  discarded  suit.  This  performance 
became  a  daily  one,  nor  could  I  understand  from 
him  why  he  persisted  in  going  through  with  it, 
when  the  result  each  day  was  the  same.  He  was 
a  queer  compound,  yet  a  very  attractive  one. 
This  little  charge  afforded  much  amusement  to  the 
command  on  their  march  to  the  Platte  River.  One 
lady  was  permitted  to  accompany  the  command 
with  the  object  of  joining  her  husband  at  some 
distant  post.  A  very  pretty  woman  she  was,  too, 
and  would  have  been  much  prettier  without  the 
artificial  aid  which,  unfortunately,  was  quite  evi 
dent.  Wilson  Graham  was  observed  to  watch  her 
closely,  and  after  many  days  he  arrived  at  a  con- 


I  1  8          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

elusion  which  he  quietly  conveyed  to  the  General, 
and  no  one  else,  in  this  way  :  "  General,  you  know 
what  I  think  ?  this  woman  must  have  Injun  blood 
in  her."  "  Why  ?"  retorted  the  General.  "  Becaupe 
she  paints."  "  O  no,  you  must  not  talk  in  that 
way;  I  cannot  allow  it."  Wilson,  however,  re 
mained  unconvinced,  and  reiterated  his  conviction 
daily.  His  aversion  to  the  Indians  was  very  great, 
and  his  reluctance  to  be  returned  to  them  was 
pitiful.  This  so  worked  upon  my  husband's  sym 
pathies  that  he  would  have  adopted  him,  could  he 
have  gotten  my  consent.  During  a  council  that 
was  held  with  some  of  the  leading  chiefs,  where 
our  troops  were  in  line,  this  boy  stole  up  behind 
General  Hancock,  pulling  vigorously  at  his  coat, 
at  the  same  time  whispering  savagely,  "Now's 
your  chance;  kill  'em,  kill  'em,  General."  A  year 
after,  a  young  officer  was  ordered  to  this  same  post 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cheyenne  camp.  On  the 
morning  of  his  arrival,  our  former  protege,  the 
little  savage,  in  a  perfect  state  of  nature,  and  with 
his  hair  to  his  shoulders,  came  within  the  garrison 
The  officer  had  known  him  well  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth,  and  could  hardly  realize  that  this  wild,  un 
tamed  child,  with  bow  and  arrow  strapped  to  his 
back,  was  none  other  than  Wilson  Graham,  who 
had  become  a  cruel,  wicked  fellow,  and  who  was 
totally  without  sympathy  for  those  who  could 


RETRIBUTION.  1 1 9 

have  protected  him  had  he  been  disposed  to  pursue 
other  than  the  life  that  seemed  to  belong  to  his 
nature.  Upon  learning  these  facts  it  quite  recon 
ciled  us,  and  totally  dispelled  the  regret,  and  indeed 
the  pain,  that  it  cost  General  Hancock  to  give  this 
poor  little  Indian  boy  up  to  his  tribe,  while  the  boy 
professed  such  horror  at  the  very  thought. 

On  arriving  at  Fort  Larned,  the  General  ar 
ranged  to  hold  a  council  with  the  Indians,  for  the 
purpose  of  explaining  the  intention  of  our  Gov 
ernment  towards  them.  The  Indians,  however, 
had  resolved  upon  war,  and  during  the  night,  al 
though  they  had  promised  to  meet  General  Hancock 
in  council  on  the  following  morning,  they  abandon 
ed  their  village,  again  attacking  mail  stations  and 
working-parties,  and  committing  other  depreda 
tions.  When  informed  of  these  facts,  General 
Hancock  gave  orders  for  the  destruction  of  their 
village  as  a  punishment  for  their  treachery.  A 
few  old  people  and  sick  had  been  left  in  the  village 
by  the  Indians.  These  were  well  taken  care  of  by 
my  husband's  orders.  This  speedy  and  well-de 
served  retribution  gave  the  philanthropists  of  the 
North  ample  opportunity  for  airing  their  ignorance 
of  a  class  of  human  beings  whom  they  know  little 
about,  and  always  seem  averse  to  a  closer  inspec 
tion  of  when  invited  to  study  the  subject  on  the 
ground.  At  the  same  time  they  gave  vent  to  un- 


I  2O         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

speakable  calumny  upon  the  offending  officer,  and 
his  motive  in  dealing  in  this  manner  with  the 
much-abused  Indian.  In  their  opinion  his  cruelty 
called  for  a  Court  of  Inquiry.  In  face,  however, 
of  the  annoyance  and  persecution  that  followed, 
he  still  pushed  the  war  vigorously  against  them, 
until  relieved  by  General  Sheridan,  September,  1867, 
nine  months  from  the  date  of  his  assuming  the 
command  of  the  Department  of  the  Missouri.  He 
was  then  ordered  to  New  Orleans  to  command 
the  Fifth  Military  District,  embracing  the  States  of 
Louisiana  and  Texas.  This  order,  as  is  well  known, 
was  very  distasteful  to  him,  and  he  was  not  long  in 
letting  it  be  known  to  President  Johnson,  who, 
being  in  entire  sympathy  with  his  views  of  admin 
istrating  affairs  in  the  South,  would  not  listen  to 
his  appeals  for  relief.  The  loyalty  he  felt  for  his 
Government  and  its  constitution  would  not  per 
mit  General  Hancock  to  assume  an  authority 
which,  as  construed  by  the  Reconstruction  leaders 
in  Congress,  in  his  opinion  amounted  to  absolute 
despotism,  a  rule  that  was  at  variance  with  the 
spirit  and  the  law  of  our  institutions,  and  he  was 
much  perplexed  over  the  difficulties  vihich  con 
fronted  him  in  his  administration  of  this  district; 
difficulties  only  to  be  understood  by  those  coming 
into  direct  contact  with  them.  He  said  to  me:  "  I 
am  expected  to  exercise  extreme  military  author- 


COLONEL    W.    D.    W.    MILLER, 
MEMBER  OF  GENERAL   HANCOCK'S   WAR  STAFF. 


122          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

ity  over  those  people.  I  shall  disappoint  them.  I 
have  not  been  educated  to  overthrow  the  civil 
authorities  in  time  of  peace,  I  intend  to  recognize 
the  fact  that  the  Civil  War  is  at  an  end,  and  shall 
issue  my  order  or  proclamation  accordingly.  I 
tell  you  this,  because  I  may  lose  my  commission, 
and  I  shall  do  so  willingly,  rather  than  retain  it  at 
the  sacrifice  of  a  life-long  principle."  Gladly  did  I 
uphold  him  in  these  sentiments,  and  expressed  a 
willingness  to  confront  and  share  with  him  every 
difficulty  that  might  come  through  the  desperate 
men  who  were  then  making  efforts  to  destroy  the 
Government. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  journey  to  New  Orleans — How  Order  No.  40  was  written — 
Its  grateful  acceptation  by  the  Southern  People — Reception 
at  St.  Vincent's  Orphan  Asylum — The  reign  of  the  Carpet 
Baggers — An  effort  made  to  drop  General  Hancock  from  the 
Army  rolls — Its  failure — General  Hancock  resigns  his  com 
mand  of  the  Fifth  Military  District. 

/^\N  November  29  we  left  St.  Louis  on  the 
New  Orleans  steamer.  The  trip  was  long 
and  tedious,  and  was  rendered  memorable  by  a 
peculiar  malady  that  made  its  appearance  a  few 
days  after  our  departure,  with  fatal  results  in 
several  cases.  We  were  told  afterwards  that  the 
epidemic  was  the  result  of  yellow  fever,  which  had 
raged  on  the  boat  some  time  previously,  and  the 
germs  of  which  had  not  been  wholly  eradicated. 

It  is  well  to  state  here  that  General  Hancock's 
Order  No.  40,  which  many  asserted  must  have 
been  wTitten  by  another,  was  fully  considered, 
and  concluded  upon,  during  our  downward  trip 
to  New  Orleans.  I  have  every  reason  to  recall 
the  circumstances,  inconsequence  of  an  unpleas 
ant  night  which  he  unwittingly  caused  me.  I  had 

retired   at  a  late  hour,  but  awakened  some  time 

123 


124         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

after  3  A.  M.,  and  finding  that  my  husband  was 
still  absent,  my  fears  were  excited.  I  arose, 
dressed  myself  and  left  my  stateroom.  The 
cabin  was  deserted,  and  no  one  was  visible.  For 
some  time  I  awaited  the  appearance  of  the  steward 
ess  or  watchman,  or  some  passer-by,  but  finally 
I  descended  to  the  clerk's  room,  where  I  found 
the  General  absorbed  in  his  writing,  and  some 
what  annoyed  at  my  interruption.  When  inform 
ed  that  it  was  nearly  4  o'clock,  he  was  greatly 
surprised,  and  promised  to  retire  shortly,  as  his 
order  was  completed. 

In  a  few  moments  he  came  up  to  our  room, 
and  standing  in  the  open  door,  by  the  subdued 
light  of  the  cabin  lamps  he  read  me  the  original 
draft  of  Order  No.  40,  which  was  issued  a  few 
days  later,  exactly  as  written  that  night. 

I  heartily  approved,  and  congratulated  him 
upon  the  wording  of  the  order.  "  Now  "  said  I, 
"  we  will  break  stones  together,  should  the  con 
scientious  reconstructionists,  use  their  power 
against  you." 

"  They  will  crucify  me,"  he  replied.  "  I  warned 
the  President  of  my  intentions  before  he  finally 
issued  my  order."  He  continued,  "  I  know  I  shall 
have  his  sympathy,  but  he  is  powerless  to  help 
me." 

A   more   grateful  people   could   not  be   found 


ORDER  NO.  40,  AND' ITS  EFFECT.  125 

than  the  Louisianians  and  Texans  when  this  order 
was  promulgated.  The  old  French  element,  who 
seldom  or  never  came  from  their  retirement,  either 
to  receive  or  extend  civilities  from  or  to  the 
Americans,  and  many  of  whom  were  unable  to 
speak  a  word  of  English,  came  to  me  with  open 
arms  and  cried,  "  Dieu  merci  pour  le  bonheur  vue 
votre  noble  mari  nous  a  apporti." 

This  gratitude  was  universal,  and  my  time 
was  taken  up  for  many  days  after  our  arrival  in 
returning  gifts  of  every  kind  and  description,  in 
cluding  chignons  of  every  shade  and  color, 
which  were  pouring  in  upon  me  with  such 
messages  as,  "  Thank  God  we  are  at  peace  again." 
"  Glory  be  to  God  for  sending  us  this  great 
and  good  man."  "  From  a  grateful  Louisianian," 
etc.,  etc. 

This  feeling  of  gratitude  pervaded  the  entire 
community,  and  even  extended  to  every  institution, 
large  and  small,  throughout  the  State.  Illustrat 
ing  this,  I  will  relate  one  little  incident  connected 
with  a  visit  to  the  St.  Vincent  Orphan  Asylum, 
New  Orleans,  which  myself  and  husband  have 
many  times  since  referred  to  as  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  our  lives.  The  welcome  that  was 
accorded  us  by  those  earnest  Christian  devotees 
was  conveyed  by  Mr.  Charles  Macready  in  the 
following  address: 


126         REMINISCENCES  OF  W1NFIELD  S,  HANCOCK, 

"  To  GENERAL  W.  S.   HANCOCK, 

"Good and  kind  General:  Grateful  for  your  thoughtful  and 
generous  action  for  the  relief  and  support  of  this  Institution  in 
connection  with  many  other  charities  of  the  State,  the  little  orphan 
inmates  who  claim  it  as  their  only  home  bid  you  welcome  to  St. 
Vincent  Infant  Asylum.  We  thank  our  Heavenly  Father  that  he 
has  sent  you  here  to  restore  peace  and  order,  to  bind  up  the 
broken  hearts,  to  revive  the  hopes  and  make  less  wretched  the 
suffering  of  our  people,  among  whom,  in  the  days  of  their  pros 
perity,  were  once  numbered  many,  very  many,  of  the  orphans' 
best  friends,  who  now,  alas,  are  themselves  destitute.  There  is  a 
pleasing  belief,  cherished  by  many,  that  a  gift  carries  with  it  some 
special  grace  or  blessing  from  Heaven.  In  the  hope  that  this 
beautiful  idea  may  be  realized  to  the  fullest  extent  in  your  behalf, 
we  ask  you  to  accept  our  humble  gift,  which  has  been  prepared 
in  this  home  of  the  helpless,  expressly  for  you.  We  will  offer  up 
our  prayers  that  it  may  please  Him  who  has  promised  to  be  a 
Father  to  the  fatherless,  to  bestow  with  this,  our  little  gift,  upon 
you  and  all  dear  to  you  His  choicest  blessings  here  below;  and 
when,  in  the  fullness  of  time,  He  shall  call  you  and  them  to 
receive  the  reward  of  a  worthy  and  well-spent  life,  that  you  shall 
all  be  united  in  a  blessed  and  immortal  home.  May  health  and 
happiness  be  vouchsafed  to  you  and  yours,  and,  in  the  trials  and 
difficulties  which  are  inseparable  from  this  life,  may  you  always 
have  the  assistance  of  our  good  Lord,  will  ever  pray  the  Little 
Orphans  of  St.  Vincent  Infant  Asylum." 

At  the  close  of  this  touching"  and  impressive 
ceremony,  General  Hancock  accepted  the  testi 
monial  in  a  few  appropriate  words.  With  eyes 
suffused  with  tears  he  received  the  caresses  of  the 
little  orphans,  who  covered  his  hand  with  kisses, 
embraced  his  knees,  and  in  every  possible  manner 
endeavored  to  make  plain  to  him  a  sentiment 
which  they  were  too  young  to  comprehend,  yet 


OPPOSITION  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT.  \  2  7 

instinctively  knew,  from  all  that  had  passed  before, 
that  in  some  way  he  was  in  close  unity  with  them, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  these  little  creatures 
could  be  induced  to  give  up  their  hold  upon  him, 
when  the  time  came  for  our  departure. 

When  I  reflect  upon  the  supreme  happiness  and 
confidence  which  his  presence  in  their  midst  at 
that  time  promoted,  their  absolute  faith  in  his 
controlling  powers,  and  the  era  of  good  feeling  and 
prosperity  thus  inaugurated,  the  more  monstrous 
and  vicious  appears  to  my  mind  the  abolishing 
afterwards  of  sound  principles,  and  a  system  of 
happy  government,  for  a  reign  of  terror  under  the 
rule  of  that  ubiquitous  class,  the  "carpet-baggers." 
Naturally  his  ideas  of  administration  would  con 
flict  with  this  arbitrary  class,  whose  harsh  measures 
and  extreme  views  were  in  perfect  sympathy  with 
the  radical  wing  of  the  party ;  therefore,  it  is 
easy  to  imagine  the  obstacles  that  were  thrown  in 
his  way,  to  interfere  with  his  efforts  and  ideas  of 
reconstruction.  It  is  seen  here  how  unhappy  and 
vexatious  were  the  duties  devolving  upon  him, 
and  how  heroically  he  defended  the  principles  laid 
down  in  his  Order  No.  40.  But  his  constitutional 
government  was  far  from  being  palatable  to  the  rad 
ical  wing  of  the  Republican  party  then  in  Congress. 
General  Garfield  was  at  that  time  included  in  this 
distinguished  assemblage,  and  it  was  he  who  pro- 


I  28          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

posed  to  pass  a  bill  reducing  the  number  of  major- 
generals  in  the  regular  Army.  The  bill  was  intro 
duced,  but  failed  to  become  a  law.  This  was  an 
unglossed  scheme,  invented  to  drop  General 
Hancock  from  the  army  rolls,  which  failed  only 
through  fear  of  its  reacting  in  an  opposite  direction 
from  the  one  intended.  In  after  years  General 
Garfield  expressed  himself  publicly,  at  a  dinner 
given  by  Secretary  Bayard,  as  heartily  ashamed  of 
the  part  he  had  taken  in  that  discreditable  course 
of  action  intended  to  humiliate  General  Hancock, 
and  in  a  manly  way  asked  him  to  forgive  and 
forget. 

After  repeated  appeals  to  the  Government  by 
the  " carpet-bag"  officials  of  the  South,  to  protect 
them  against  General  Hancock's  administration, 
General  Grant  finally  came  to  their  assistance,  and 
by  his  interference  with  General  Hancock's  au 
thority,  so  impaired  his  usefulness  as  to  force  upon 
him  finally  the  necessity  of  being  relieved. 

The  direct  cause  of  this  humiliation  is  as  follows  : 
The  nine  Aldermen  members  of  the  City  Council 
had  undertaken  to  elect  a  City  Recorder,  an  office 
elective  by  the  people,  and  this  innovation,  too, 
was  attempted  in  contempt  of  an  order  previ 
ously  issued  by  the  Commanding  General  (Gen 
eral  Sheridan).  For  this  and  other  acts  of  insub 
ordination  General  Hancock  removed  them.  Two 


CAPTAIN  G.   L.    S.  WARD. 


1 10         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

\J 

were  white  and  seven  negroes.  Upon  the  repre 
sentation  of  some  one,  I  know  not  whom,  General 
Grant  by  telegraph  ordered  General  Hancock  to 
restore  them.  Upon  the  receipt  of  this  despatch 
General  Hancock  asked  permission  to  delay  the 
reinstatement  of  the  Councilmen  until  his  report, 
which  had  already  been  sent  by  mail,  should  be 
received,  as  he  felt  quite  sure  that  General  Grant 
would  understand  his  motives  in  the  removals, 
and  would  approve  the  action  taken.  Grant's  re 
sponse  came  in  the  following  economical  sugges 
tion  :  "  Despatches  of  such  length  as  yours  should 
be  sent  by  mail,  when  there  is  not  a  greater 
necessity  for  prompt  reply  than  seems  to  exist  in 
this  case."  He  added  :  "There  is  nothing  in  my 
order  that  doubted  your  authority  to  make  re 
movals  or  appointments,  when  the  public  exigency 
requires  it.  I  only  exercised  an  authority  given  to 
me  as  General  of  the  Army,  under  which  law  both 
of  us  find  our  authority  to  act  in  such  matters. 
Your  order  of  removal  was  based  on  certain 
charges,  which  I  did  not  think  were  sustained  by 
the  facts  as  they  were  presented  to  me."  Naturally 
the  question  would  arise,  By  whom  were  these  so 
considered  "facts  "  presented?  By  the  two  white 
men  and  seven  negroes  who  were  interested  par 
ties  in  the  case,  or  their  friends  in  Washington, 
would  be  the  conclusion.  This  discourtesy  deter- 


A  NEGRO  MANIFESTA  TION. 

mined  my  husband  to  ask  to  be  relieved.  Ac 
cordingly  he  did  so,  but  his  request  was  unheeded 
at  headquarters.  In  the  interval  President  Johnson 
made  an  able  appeal  to  Congress,  which  is  given 
below,  stating  that  some  public  recognition  was 
due  General  Hancock  for  his  patriotic  conduct 
and  important  services.  Instead  of  taking  the 
course  of  action  recommended  by  the  President, 
every  effort  was  made  to  bring  General  Hancock's 
military  career  to  a  close.  Success  for  a  time 
seemed  to  favor  the  scheme,  when  General  Garfield 
presented  to  Congress  for  consideration  his  before- 
mentioned  happy  and  economical  scheme  for  re 
ducing  the  number  of  major-generals  in  the  army, 
which,  to  the  credit  of  Congress,  failed  to  become 
a  law. 

After  General  Hancock's  failure  in  obtaining  a 
response  to  his  application  to  be  relieved,  he  ap 
plied  direct  to  President  Johnson,  to  accept  his 
resignation  in  case  his  application  was  not  attended 
to  at  once.  After  this  arbitrary  action,  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  him  to  continue  with  advan 
tage  his  honest  purpose  in  the  administration  of 
Southern  affairs,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  the 
arrogance  of  the  negro  element,  manifested  in 
their  unbearable  insolence  after  their  triumph  over 
General  Hancock,  for  such  they  considered  it ; 
and  the  sequel  showed  that  to  a  certain  extent 


132         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

they  were  right.  To  show  their  utter  contempt  for 
his  authority,  on  one  or  two  mornings  following 
the  reinstatement  of  the  so-called  Aldermen,  the 
negroes  en  masse  paraded  round  and  round  the 
Commanding  General's  residence  at  a  very  early 
hour  in  the  morning,  in  a  turbulent  and  threaten 
ing  manner,  which  left  no  doubt  that  his  work  was 
done  in  Louisiana  and  Texas,  and  that  he  must 
leave  its  future  in  the  hands  of  the  "  carpet-baggers  " 
and  those  who  had  sustained  them.  He  soon  de 
termined  upon  his  course,  and  left  New  Orleans, 
after  permission  had  been  granted,  without  delay, 
leaving  his  family  to  follow  a  short  time  after 
wards. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

General  Grant  and  General  Hancock — Convention  of  1868— Gen 
eral  Hancock  Refuses  to  Commit  Himself — Letter  from  Hon. 
S.  T.  Glover,  and  Reply — Assigned  to  the  Command  of  the 
Department  of  Dakota — Fight  with  the  Blackfeet  Indians — 
False  Sentiment  in  the  East  with  reference  to  the  Indians. 

A  RRIVING  in  Washington,  my  husband  re 
paired  at  once  to  the  Commanding  General's 
headquarters  to  report  and  register,  thereby  com 
plying  with  every  requisite,  whatever  may  be  said 
to  the  contrary.  It  could  not  be  expected  that 
General  Hancock  felt  at  that  moment  entirely 
cordial  and  uninjured,  after  the  discourteous  treat 
ment  he  had  just  been  subjected  to,  and  it  would 
be  expected  that  his  sentiments  toward  General 
Grant  were  not  contrary  to  those  usually  actuating 
the  average  human  being  when  a  slight  or  wrong 
has  been  inflicted  on  him.  Still,  never  by  word  or 
action  did  he  forget  to  recognize  General  Grant  as 
his  superior  officer,  or  to  do  him  justice  in  every 
way.  He  would  even  refuse  to  listen  to  anyone 
attempting  to  depreciate  the  qualities  that  made 
General  Grant  a  successful  commander ;  he  fully 
realized  that  he  possessed  them,  and  believed  that 


133 


134         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

he  was  an  instrument  selected  by  Providence  to 
carry  out  this  great  work,  which  enabled  him  to 
succeed  in  controlling  public  opinion  and  sympa 
thies — in  not  a  few  instances  committing  righteous 
wrongs.  Historical  facts  in  evidence  will  sustain 
me  in  this  declaration.  Neither  can  it  be  denied 
that  General  Grant  betrayed  feelings  of  hostility 
toward  General  Hancock,  which  in  his  position  he 
was  fully  able  to  gratify.  An  instance  of  this 
kind,  in  which  I  can  frankly  say  that  he  was  not 
(upon  this  one  occasion)  upheld  by  the  press  or 
country,  was  the  sending  my  husband — then  a 
major-general — to  Dakota,  appointing  him  to  a 
command  without  consideration  of  his  legitimate 
rank  in  the  United  States  service.  General  Grant's 
friends  urged  that  Hancock  was  too  sensitive  with 
regard  to  the  claim  of  rank,  and  that  he  or 
his  friends  should  not  have  noticed  the  slight 
offered  him. 

The  esprit  du  corps  at  least,  and  morale  of  the 
service,  would  demand  this  recognition,  for  noth 
ing  tends  more  to  chill  the  high  impulses  of  a 
soldier  than  a  disregard  of  justly  made  claims  by 
superior  officers.  Of  this  treatment  General  Han 
cock  complained  with  reason,  and  considerable 
discussion  on  the  subject  took  place  at  the  time. 
To  quote  General  Hancock's  exact  expressions  in 
relating  this  affair,  he  remarked : 


GENERAL  GRANT  AND  GENERAL  HANCOCK. 


135 


"  The  difference  which  arose  between  General  Grant  and  my 
self  was  mostly,  if  not  entirely,  due  to  misrepresentation  and  ex 
aggeration  of  the  language  and  conduct  of  both  of  us  by  gossips, 
who  thought  that,  because  he  and  I  had  had  some  different  views 
in  official  matters,  it  would  be  agreeable  to  General  Grant  to  hear 
unkindly  things  purporting  to  come  from  me.  I  believe  that  they 
were  in  this  mistaken.  There  were  people,  too,  who  wished  to 
keep  us  apart.  I  believe  General  Grant  always  felt  kindly  to 
ward  me,  and  I  certainly  felt  thus  toward  him.  I  never  did  him 
the  slightest  injury,  though  I  consider  I  have  had  occasion  for 
grievance.  In  General  Grant's  official  report,  I  did  not  think  he 
gave  the  Second  Corps,  or  myself  as  its  commander,  all  the  credit 
that  justly  belonged  to  the  Corps  and  to  me.  When,  however, 
his  attention  was  called  to  this  omission,  he  gave,  as  his  reason, 
*  that  when  his  own  report  was  made  out,  he  had  not  received  full 
reports  from  all  of  the  commanders  of  the  several  corps.' 

"  It  was  an  unfortunate  omission  for  me,  as  General  Grant's 
report  will  always  in  the  future  be  regarded  as  the  one  truthful, 
correct  reference  for  historians." 

It  is  gratifying  to  consider  that  General  Grant's 
Memoirs  make  ample  though  late  amends,  by  the 
very  handsome  and  just  mention  of  General  Han 
cock's  services.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  he  had 
fully  earned  such  a  tribute.  Before  yielding  up 
his  command  in  the  Fifth  Military  District,  Gen 
eral  Hancock  was  approached  by  friends,  and 
urged  to  be  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency.  He 
would  not  listen  to  these  appeals,  nor  allow  his 
name  to  be  used  in  any  manner  to  further  his  own 
advancement ;  everything  that  was  done  was 
through  enthusiastic  friends  and  supporters. 

The  Convention  assembled  m  New  York  Cityr 
July  4,  1868,  the  Hon.  Horatio  Seymour  presiding. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


REFUSING  TO  COMMIT  HIMSELF.  I  3  7 

The  balloting  continued  for  hours  without  a  re 
sult,  until  the  twenty-eighth  ballot,  when  General 
Hancock  received  144  votes.  One  more  ballot 
would  have  decided  it  in  his  favor  had  not  the  Con 
vention  adjourned  at  this  juncture.  Naturally  the 
crowds  continued  throughout  the  night,  and  des 
patches  were  received  by  General  Hancock  at  in 
tervals,  insisting  that  he  should  commit  himself  in 
favor  of  certain  individuals,  in  the  event  of  his 
nomination.  He  received  positive  assurances  that 
if  the  desired  promises  were  made,  nothing  should 
prevent  his  receiving  the  nomination  on  the  first 
ballot  in  the  morning.  The  same  reply  was  sent 
in  each  and  every  case  :  "I  shall  promise  nothing, 
nor  commit  myself  in  any  way." 

The  result  is  well  known,  and  the  parties  nearest 
to  success  knew  well  the  machinations  that  were 
used  to  embarrass  the  Convention  and  defeat  the 
popular  candidate,  resulting  in  the  presentation  of 
ex-Governor  Seymour's  name  to  the  Convention  on 
the  following  morning.  He  received  the  nomi 
nation  on  the  twenty-second  ballot.  After  the 
defeat  of  Governor  Seymour  for  the  Presidency, 
the  Radical  journals  asserted  that  General  Han 
cock  had  refused  to  vote,  and  was  dissatisfied 
with  the  result  of  the  Convention,  which  accoun 
ted  for  his  inactivity  during  the  canvass ;  but  this 
assertion  was  not  heeded,  nor  would  it  have  been 


I  38          REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

\J 

noticed  had  not  the  Hon.  S.  T.  Glover,  of  St.  Louis, 
an  eminent  lawyer  and  personal  friend  of  General 
Hancock's,  written  him  a  letter  of  inquiry,  which 

I  give  below  : 

"  ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  July  13,  1868. 
"MAJOR-GENERAL  W.   S.   HANCOCK: 

"Dear  General:  I  deem  it  proper  to  direct  your  attention  to 
statements  made  by  the  Radical  press,  to  the  effect  that  you 
are  greatly  dissatisfied  with  the  result  of  the  National  Democratic 
Convention.  The  object  of  these  statements  is  to  create  an  im 
pression  that  you  do  not  acquiesce  in  the  judgment  of  the  Con 
vention;  that  your  friends  do  not,  and,  in  consequence,  Seymour 
and  Blair  will  not  have  their  cordial  support.  I  wish  you  to  know, 
General,  that  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  pronounce  these  state 
ments  false,  and  to  assure  those  who  have  spoken  to  me  on  the 
subject,  that  nothing  could  cause  you  more  regret  than  to  find 
your  friends  less  earnest  in  supporting  this  ticket  which  has  been 
nominated,  than  they  would  have  been  had  your  name  stood  in 
the  place  of  Governor  Seymour's.  I  am, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"  S.   T.   GLOVER." 

Whereupon  General  Hancock  hastened  to  reply 
to  Mr.  Glover  in  the  following  letter : 

"  NEWPORT,  R.  I.,  July  17,  1868. 
"S.   T.   GLOVER. 

"Dear  Sir:  I  am  greatly  obliged  for  your  favor  of  the  i3th 
inst.  Those  who  suppose  that  I  do  not  acquiesce  in  the  work  of 
the  National  Democratic  Convention,  or  that  I  do  not  sincerely 
desire  the  election  of  its  nominee,  know  very  little  of  my  character. 
Believing,  as  I  verily  do,  that  the  preservation  of  Constitutional 
Government  eminently  depends  on  the  success  of  the  Demo 
cratic  party  in  the  coming  election,  were  I  to  hesitate  in  its  cordial 
support  I  feel  I  should  not  only  falsify  my  own  record,  but  com 
mit  a  crime  against  my  country.  I  never  aspired  to  the  Presidency 
on  account  of  myself.  I  never  sought  its  doubtful  honor  and 


HEADQUARTERS  CHANGED  TO  NEW  YORK.  139 

certain  labor  and  responsibilities  merely  for  the  position.  My 
only  wish  was  to  promote,  if  I  could,  the  good  of  the  country  and 
to  rebuke  the  spirit  of  revolution  which  had  invaded  every  sacred 
precinct  of  liberty.  When,  therefore,  you  pronounced  the  state 
ments  in  question  false,  you  did  exactly  right.  *  Principles  and 
not  rulers,'  is  the  motto  for  the  rigid  crisis  through  which  we  are 
now  struggling.  Had  I  been  the  Presidential  nominee  I  should 
have  considered  it  a  tribute,  not  to  me,  but  to  principles  which 
I  had  proclaimed  and  protected;  but  shall  I  cease  to  regard  these 
principles,  because  by  the  judgment  of  mutual  political  friends 
another  has  been  appointed  to  put  them  in  execution  ?  Never  ! 
never!  These,  sir,  are  my  sentiments,  whatever  interested  parties 
may  say  to  the  contrary;  and  I  desire  that  all  may  know  and 
understand  them.  I  shall  ever  hold  in  grateful  remembrance  the 
faithful  friends  who,  toiling  from  every  section  of  the  country, 
preferred  me  by  their  votes  and  other  expressions  of  confidence 
both  in  and  out  of  the  Convention,  and  shall  do  them  all  the  jus 
tice  to  believe  that  they  were  governed  by  patriotic  motives,  that 
they  did  not  propose  simply  to  aggrandize  my  personal  fortunes, 
but  to  serve  their  Country  through  me,  and  that  they  will  not  now 
suffer  anything  like  personal  preferences  or  jealousies  to  stand  be 
tween  them  and  their  manifest  duty.  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
dear  sir, 

"  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK." 

At  this  time  he  was  in  command  of  the  Military 
Division  of  the  Atlantic,  with  headquarters  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  In  October  of  the  same  year, 
in  accordance  with  his  wishes,  the  headquarters 
were  changed  to  New  York.  It  was  generally 
understood  at  the  time  that  the  change  was  attrib 
utable  to  the  lack  of  entente  cordiale  between  the 
general  commanding  the  army  and  General  Han 
cock,  but  such  was  not  the  case. 


140 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


FIGHTING  THE  BLA  CKFEE  T  INDIAN'S.  141 

General  Grant  had  meanwhile  been  inaugurated 
as  President,  and  General  Meade  assigned,  by 
order  of  General  Grant,  to  the  Division  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  General  Hancock  to  the  Department 
of  Dakota,  headquarters  at  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

General  Hancock  was  unable  to  assume  com 
mand  until  May  17,  1869,  by  reason  of  his  attend 
ance  on  the  Dyer  Court  of  Inquiry.  After  the 
conclusion  of  this  duty  he  repaired  to  his  new 
station,  and  before  the  summer  closed  had  inspect 
ed  every  post  in  his  Department.  Upon  the  con 
clusion  of  this  inspection  he  writes: 

"  Again  at  home,  feeling  well,  happy,  and  satisfied  with  my  sum 
mer's  work.  I  can  now  command  my  Department  understand- 
ingly,  having  studied  well  its  necessities,  which  is  better  than 
accepting  the  impressions  of  others,  whom  I  should  have  been 
obliged  to  send  had  I  not  gone  myself.  We  have  had  a  hard, 
toilsome,  dangerous  trip.  I  have  established  a  new  post  near  the 
town  of  Pembina,  located  on  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  and 
have  made  arrangements  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers  in  this 
section,  guarding  and  keeping  open  lines  of  travel,  and  protecting 
the  work  of  constructing  the  railway  (Northern  Pacific),  of  which 
more  than  three-fifths  of  the  length  lies  within  the  bounds  of  my 
department.  You  see  now  what  I  have  to  accomplish." 

The  Blackfeet  Indians  had  for  some  time  an 
noyed  the  settlers  in  Montana  by  marauding  and 
murdering.  It  was  thought  best  to  punish  them  by 
a  winter  campaign,  and  General  Hancock  arranged 
an  expedition  against  them.  Our  troops  surprised  a 
camp  of  the  Piegan  band  of  the  Blackfeet,  killed  1 73 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Indians  and  captured  100  women  and  children  and 
300  ponies.  Unfortunately  some  of  the  women 
and  children  were  killed  in  the  melee.  Much 
blame  was  thrown  upon  the  commanding1  officer 
and  his  men,  but  General  Hancock  exonerated  him 
in  his  official  report  from  any  intentional  severity. 
The  orders  were  to  punish  the  Indians  wherever 
found,  for  their  cruelties  and  depredations.  Well- 
merited  justice  was  meted  out  to  them,  though  se 
vere  censure  followed  those  whose  duty  it  was  to 
chastise  them.  General  Sherman,  in  the  following 
letter,  agreed  with  General  Hancock  concerning 
the  conduct  of  this  campaign. 

"  DEAR  GENERAL: 

"  I  received  a  few  days  ago  your  letter  and  the  amended  re 
port.  I  would  not,  were  I  in  your  place,  notice  the  efforts  of  the 
men  who  are  trying  to  raise  a  smoke  about  the  Indians.  Their 
motive  is  so  transparent  that  they  cannot  deceive  anyone  familiar 
with  the  facts,  and  they  don't  know  or  care  anything  about  the 
truth.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  go  right  along  and  pay  no 
attention  to  the  clamor  of  the  Peace  Advocates. 

"  Truly  yours, 
"W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Lieutenant-General" 

The  false  sentiment  bestowed  and  entirely 
wasted  upon  this  treacherous  race  by  a  class  who 
know  nothing  of  their  character  and  habits,  except 
from  the  sentimental  brain  of  the  imaginative 
Cooper,  have  been  and  will  always  be  the  b$te 
noir  of  the  frontier  service.  They  have  thrown 
many  obstacles,  with  the  assistance  of  the  govern- 


A  SOLUTION  OF  THE  INDIAN  QUESTION.  143 

mental  policy,  if  such  it  can  be  called,  in  the  way 
of  a  simple  but  quick  solution  to  this  difficult 
question.  If  it  were  left  to  the  Army,  much  dis 
couragement  and  perplexity  would  cease,  and  the 
hard,  thankless  service,  which  results  always  in 
discontent  and  chronic  fault-finding,  whatever  the 
result,  would  be  made  comparatively  light. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

Convention  of  1872 — General  Hancock's  name  proposed — Trans 
ferred  to  the  Division  of  the  Atlantic — The  Babcock  Court  of 
Inquiry. 

r  I  ^HIS  same  year,  1872,  another  Presidential 
election  was  approaching,  and,  as  before, 
General  Hancock's  friends  were  active  in  their 
efforts  to  bring  his  name  before  the  Convention. 
This  was  not  to  his  liking,  and  he  wrote,  or  caused 
to  be  written, -hundreds  of  letters  to  the  effect  that 
he  was  not  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency,  nor  did 
he  w4sh  to  be  so  considered.  His  friends,  however, 
as  well  as  others,  were  quietly  at  work,  believing 
him  to  be  the  most  available  man  at  that  time  for  the 
nomination.  The  following  article,  which  appeared 
in  the  St.  Louis  Republican,  gives  their  arguments: 

"  In  the  matter  of  general,  admirable  and  popular  reputation,  it 
is  supposed  that  Hancock  bears  off  the  palm  from  all  com 
petitors.  His  name  is  inseparably  and  honorably  connected  with 
those  great  achievements  of  the  war,  in  which  are  bound  up  the 
affections  of  our  Union  soldiers,  upon  which  their  admiration  is 
immovably  fixed,  and  around  which  will  cluster,  while  they  breathe, 
all  the  honor  and  glory  of  their  country.  His  name  is  familiar  to 
the  hosts  of  our  Union  soldiery.  Thousands  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  those  soldiers  have  known  him  personally.  Which 
of  the  other  gentlemen  named  for  the  Presidency  can  be  com 
pared  with  him  in  this  ?  It  is  also  suggested  that  Hancock  is 

144 


ACTION  OF  THE  CONTENTION  OF  1872.  145 

favorably  known  to  soldiers  who  fought  on  our  side  of  the  Re 
bellion.  There  is  something  peculiar  in  the  fact,  yet  the  fact  is 
undoubted,  that  honorable  and  brave  men  who  fight  each  other 
though  never  so  desperately,  are  more  ready  than  outsiders  to  be 
friends  when  the  strife  has  ceased.  Why  may  not  Hancock  com 
mand  the  respect  and  admiration  of  Southern  soldiers  ?  In  him 
they  beheld  the  Chevalier  without  fear  and  without  reproach — the 
Union  leader,  of  all  others  the  most  terrible  in  the  rush  of  battle, 
the  most  generous  and  magnanimous  in  victory." 

Then  again  came  a  like  appeal  from  the  Boston 

Post: 

"  I  need  not  speak  of  Hancock,  the  soldier-statesman,  whose 
generous  and  heroic  spirit  rolled  back  the  tide  of  despotism,  whose 
orders  and  letters  are  among  the  noblest  appeals  for  the  suprem 
acy  of  Civil  law  to  be  found  in  the  annals  of  any  country." 

Thus  was  the  one  side  presented,  while  on  the 
other  hand  there  were  friends  who  considered  the 
political  situation  peculiar,  and  the  confidence  in 
the  Democratic  party  not  absolute  by  any  means  ; 
and  their  desire  was  to  offer  inducements,  on  ac 
count  of  these  features  of  the  situation,  for  a  com 
promise  candidate,  believing  General  Hancock's 
time  had  not  arrived.  Their  candidate,  as  all  the 
world  knows,  was  Horace  Greeley,  who  was  de 
feated  by  a  large  majority  and  the  re-election  of 
General  Grant. 

On  the  death  of  General  Meade,  General  Han 
cock  became  the  senior  major-general  of  the  Army, 
which  entitled  him  to  the  command  made  vacant 
by  General  Meade's  death.  It  was  not  General 
Grant's  intention  at  that  time  to  make  this  change, 


746         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


THE  BABCO CK  MILITAR  Y  CO  UR  T  OF  INQ  UIR  Y.        147 

as  was  well  understood,  but  he  reversed  his  de 
cision  finally,  and  ordered  General  Hancock  to  the 
Division  of  the  Atlantic,  with  headquarters  in  New 
York  City.  General  Sherman  stated  that  he  had 
always  considered  New  York  the  proper  place  for 
headquarters,  though  he  permitted  General  Meade 
to  use  his  pleasure  in  the  selection  of  Philadelphia, 
that  city  being  his  home.  The  official  duties  en 
tailed  by  this  command  were  unlike  any  others, 
inasmuch  as  they  were  not  so  laborious,  requiring 
vigilance,  but  without  the  grave  responsibilities  that 
were  ever  present  while  serving  in  the  Indian  ter 
ritory.  Yet  his  services  in  this  Division  were  not 
without  incidents  which  brought  him  prominently 
before  the  public.  In  1875  a  Military  Court  of  In 
quiry  was  convened  at  Chicago,  to  investigate  the 
charges  that  were  brought  against  General  Bab- 
cock,  private  secretary  to  General  Grant,  in  con 
nection  with  the  alleged  whisky  frauds.  The 
court  consisted  of  Lieutenant-General  Sheridan, 
President,  and  Generals  Hancock  and  Terry. 

J 

During  the  sitting  of  the  court,  the  Grand  Jury  of 
St.  Louis  found  a  true  bill  of  indictment  against 
General  Babcock.  Before  leaving  for  Chicago, 
General  Hancock  expressed  himself  in  positive 
terms  as  to  the  illegality  of  the  whole  proceedings, 
in  the  calling  for  a  Military  Court  of  Inquiry 
while  an  investigation  was  pending  in  the  Civil 


1 48         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

courts.  He  mentioned  his  determination  to  ques 
tion  their  possession  of  any  authority,  as  a  military 
tribunal,  to  proceed  with  the  case  before  them, 
until  the  Civil  court  had  pronounced  upon  the  ac 
cused.  He  believed  the  court  would  listen  to  his 
objections  when  he  presented  them,  which  he  did 
in  the  following  address : 

"  A  sense  of  duty  to  the  laws  of  the  military  service,  and  to  the 
accused,  impels  me  to  ask  your  concurrence  in  a  postponement  of 
this  Inquiry  for  the  present.  We  are  all  bound  to  believe  in  the 
innocence  of  Colonel  Babcock,  and  the  presumption  cannot  be 
repelled  without  evidence.  It  is  due  to  him  to  suppose  that  this 
Court  of  Inquiry  was  asked  in  good  faith  for  the  reasons  given. 
What  were  the  reasons  ?  In  the  course  of  a  legal  trial  in  St. 
Louis,  Colonel  Babcock  was  alleged  to  be  guilty  of  high  crim 
inal  offense.  He  asked  for  a  hearing  in  the  same  court,  but  was 
informed  he  could  not  have  it  because  the  evidence  was  closed. 
Those  circumstances  led  him  to  demand  a  Court  of  Inquiry,  as 
the  only  means  of  vindication  that  was  left  him.  Since  then  he 
has  been  formally  indicted,  and  he  is  now  certain  of  getting  that 
full  and  fair  trial,  before  an  impartial  jury,  which  the  laws  of  the 
country  guarantee  to  all  its  citizens.  The  supposed  necessity  for 
convening  a  military  court  for  the  determination  of  his  guilt  or 
innocence  no  longer  exists.  It  is  believed  that  our  action  as  a 
military  tribunal  cannot  oust  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Court 
while  the  indictment  is  pending.  The  President  has  said,  through 
the  Attorney-General,  that  such  was  not  the  intention.  Then 
the  trial  at  St.  Louis  and  this  Inquiry  must  go  on  at  the  same 
time.  Unless  we  await  the  result  of  the  Inquiry  there,  the  diffi 
culties  are  very  formidable.  The  accused  must  be  present  at 
the  trial  of  the  indictment.  Shall  we  proceed  and  hear  the 
cause  behind  his  back,  or  shall  we  vex  him  with  two  trials  at  once  ? 

"The  injustice  of  this  is  manifest. 

"  I  presume,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  that  the  evidence  is 
very  voluminous,  consisting  of  records,  papers  and  oral  testimony. 


GENERAL  HANCOCK'S  ADDRESS  TO  THE  COURT.     149 

Can  we  compel  the  production  of  these  while  they  are  wanted  for 
the  purposes  of  this  trial  at  St.  Louis  ?  Certainly  not,  if  the 
military  be,  as  the  Constitution  declares,  subordinate  to  the  civil 
authorities.  Shall  we  proceed  without  evidence  and  give  an 
opinion  in  ignorance  of  the  facts  ?  That  cannot  be  the  wish  of 
anybody.  I  take  it  for  granted  that  the  trial  at  St.  Louis  will  be 
fair  as  well  as  legal,  and  that  the  judgment  will  be  according  to 
the  very  truth  and  justice  of  the  cause.  It  will  without  question 
be  binding  and  conclusive  upon  us,  upon  the  Government,  upon 
the  accused,  and  upon  all  the  world.  If  he  should  be  convicted, 
no  decision  of  ours  could  rescue  him  out  of  the  hands  of  the  law. 
If  he  be  acquitted,  our  belief  in  his  innocence  will  be  of  no  con 
sequence.  If  we  anticipate  the  trial  in  the  Civil  court,  our  judg 
ment,  whether  for  the  accused  or  against  him,  will  have,  and  ought 
to  have,  no  effect  upon  the  jurors.  It  cannot  even  be  made  known 
to  them,  and  any  attempt  to  influence  them  by  it  would  justly 
be  regarded  as  an  obstruction  of  public  justice.  On  the  other  hand, 
his  guilt  and  his  acquittal  will  relieve  him  from  the  necessity 
of  showing  anything  but  the  record. 

"I  do  not  propose  to  postpone  indefinitely,  but  simply  to  ad 
journ  from  day  to  day,  until  the  evidence  upon  the  subject  of  our 
Inquiry  shall  receive  that  definite  and  conclusive  shape  which  will 
be  impressed  upon  it  by  a  verdict  of  the  jury,  or  until  our  action, 
having  been  referred  to  the  War  Department,  with  our  opinion 
that  our  proceedings  should  be  stayed  during  the  proceedings  of 
the  Civil  court,  shall  have  been  confirmed.  In  case  of  acquittal 
by  the  Civil  court,  the  function  of  this  court  will  not  necessarily 
have  terminated.  The  accused  may  be  pronounced  innocent  of 
any  crime  against  the  statute,  and  yet  be  guilty  of  some  act  which 
the  military  law  might  punish  by  expulsion  from  the  Army.  In 
case  of  acquittal,  he  may  insist  upon  showing  to  us  that  he  has  done 
nothing  inconsistent  with  the  conduct  of  an  officer  and  a  gentle 
man,  as  the  Articles  of  War  run  ;  but  the  great  and  important 
question  is,  Guilty  or  not,  in  manner  and  form,  as  he  stands  in 
dicted  ?  And  this  can  be  legally  answered  only  by  a  jury  of  his 
countrymen." 

The   Court  of   Inquiry  immediately  adjourned 


150  REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

upon  the  conclusion  of  this  address,  to  await  fur 
ther  orders  from  Washington.  These  soon  came, 
enabling  General  Hancock  to  repair  at  once  to  his 
home  in  New  York  after  a  short  absence,  as  he 
predicted  would  be  the  result  before  parting 
from  me. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Excitement  during  the  Campaign  of  1876 — General  Hancock's  Let 
ter  to  General  Sherman. 

HPHE  exciting  Presidential  campaign  of  1876 
was  one  of  engrossing  interest,  and  the  only 
one  that  I  can  recall  that  my  husband  followed 
with  intense  interest  and  anxiety,  not  even  except 
ing  that  in  which  he  was  himself  the  nominee  of 
the  Democratic  party. 

To  quote  from  a  letter  he  wrote  me  from  Caron- 
delet,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  enclosing  a  copy  of  one  that 
he  had  written  to  General  Sherman  upon  the  same 
subject,  and  which  I  will  give  hereafter  in  expla 
nation  of  some  matter  that  can  only  be  explained 
in  this  way,  he  says  : 

"  A  very  strange  and  critical  period  are  we  passing  through. 
We  shall  see  what  our  Institutions  are  worth.  The  methods  are 
provided  in  the  Constitution  for  the  adjustment  of  such  difficul 
ties.  To  me  they  are  very  plain.  Will  they  be  regarded  ?  I 
believe  and  fear  not.  In  my  opinion  Mr.  Tilden  has  been  elected 
to  the  office  of  President  of  these  United  States,  and  should  take 
his  seat.  I  shall  be  very  much  surprised  if  he  consents  to  this 
Electoral  Commission.  What  is  that  ?  I  consider  this  matter 
has  already  been  decided  by  the  official  count,  showing  a  popular 
majority  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  in  favor  of  Mr.  Tilden. 

"Yes,  I  think  it  likely  there  may  be  some  truth  in  the  rumor 


I  5  2          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINF1ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

that  I  am  to  be  sent  to  California.     It  has  been  denied,  but  where 
there  is  so  much  smoke  you  may  rely  upon  it  there  is  some  fire." 

In  the  letter  which  follows,  General  Hancock 
gives  his  reasons  to  General  Sherman  for  crediting 
a  rumor  which  seemed  to  him  very  natural  and 
plausible. 

"To  GENERAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN, 

"  Commanding  Army  of  the  U  S. ,  Washington,  D.  C. 

"  My  Dear  General :  Your  favor  of  the  4th  inst.  reached 
me  in  New  York  on  the  5th,  the  day  before  I  left  for  the  West. 
I  intended  to  reply  to  it  before  leaving,  but  cares  incident  to  de 
parture  interfered.  Then,  again,  since  my  arrival  here,  I  have 
been  so  occupied  with  personal  affairs  of  a  business  nature  that  I 
have  deferred  writing  from  day  to  day  until  this  moment,  and  find 
myself  in  debt  to  you  another  letter,  in  acknowledgment  of  your 
favor  of  the  iyth,  received  a  few  days  since.  I  have  concluded 
to  leave  on  the  29th,  to-morrow,  P.  M.,  so  that  I  may  be  expected 
in  New  York  on  the  3ist  inst.  It  has  been  cold  and  dreary  since 
my  arrival  here.  I  have  worked  like  a  Turk  (I  presume  that 
means  hard  work)  in  the  country,  in  making  fences,  cutting  down 
trees,  and  repairing  buildings,  and  I  am  at  least  able  to  say  that 
St.  Louis  is  the  coldest  place  in  winter,  as  it  is  the  hottest  in  the 
summer,  of  any  that  I  have  encountered  in  a  temperate  zone.  I 
have  known  St.  Louis  in  December  to  have  genial  weather 
throughout  the  month  ;  this  December  has  been  frigid,  and  the 
river  has  been  frozen  more  solid  than  I  have  ever  known  it. 

"  When  I  heard  the  rumor  that  I  was  ordered  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  I  thought  it  probably  true,  considering  the  past  discussion 
on  the  subject.  The  possibilities  seemed  to  me  to  point  that  way. 
Had  it  been  true,  I  should,  of  course,  have  presented  no  com 
plaint,  nor  made  resistance  of  any  kind.  I  would  have  gone 
quietly,  if  not  prepared  to  go  promptly.  I  certainly  would  have 
been  relieved  from  the  responsibilities  and  anxieties  concerning 
Presidential  matters  which  may  fall  to  those  near  the  throne,  or 
in  authority  within  the  next  few  months,  as  well  as  from  other 
incidents  or  matters  which  I  could  not  control,  and  the  action 


A  LETTER  TO  GENERAL  SHERMAN.  153 

concerning  which  I  might  not  approve.  I  was  not  exactly  pre 
pared  to  go  to  the  Pacific,  however,  and  I  therefore  felt  relieved 
when  I  received  your  note  informing  me  that  there  was  no  truth 
in  the  rumors.  Then  I  did  not  wish  to  appear  to  be  escaping 
from  responsibilities  and  possible  danger  which  may  cluster 
around  military  commanders  in  the  East,  especially  in  the  critical 
period  fast  approaching. 

"  '  All's  well  that  ends  well.'  The  whole  matter  of  the  Presi 
dency  seems  to  me  to  be  simple  and  to  admit  of  a  peaceful  solu 
tion.  The  machinery  for  such  a  contingency  as  threatens  to 
present  itself  has  been  all  carefully  prepared.  It  only  requires 
lubricating,  owing  to  disuse.  The  army  should  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  selection  or  inauguration  of  Presidents.  The  people 
elect  the  Presidents.  Congress  declares,  in  a  joint  session,  who 
he  is.  We  of  the  Army  have  only  to  obey  his  mandates,  and  are 
protected  in  so  doing  only  so  far  as  they  may  be  lawful.  Our 
commissions  express  that. 

"I  like  Jefferson's  way  of  inauguration  ;  it  suits  our  system. 
He  rode  alone  on  horseback  to  the  Capitol  (I  fear  it  was  the 
*  Old  Capitol '),  tied  his  horse  to  a  rail  fence,  entered,  and  was 
duly  sworn,  then  rode  to  the  Executive  Mansion  and  took  pos 
session.  He  inaugurated  himself  simply  by  taking  the  oath  of 
office.  There  is  no  other  legal  inauguration  in  our  system.  The 
people  or  politicians  may  institute  parades  in  honor  of  the  event, 
and  public  officials  may  add  to  the  pageant  by  assembling  troops 
and  banners,  but  all  that  only  comes  properly  after  the  inaugura 
tion,  not  before,  and  is  not  a  part  of  it.  Our  system  does  not 
provide  that  one  President  should  inaugurate  another.  There 
might  be  danger  in  that,  and  it  was  studiously  left  out  of  the 
Charter.  But  you  are  placed  in  an  exceptionally  important  posi 
tion  in  connection  with  coming  events.  The  Capitol  is  in  my 
jurisdiction,  also,  but  I  am  a  subordinate,  and  not  on  the  spot, 
and  if  I  were,  so  also  would  my  superior  in  authority,  for  there  is 
the  station  of  the  General-in-Chief.  On  the  principle  that  a  regu 
larly  elected  President's  term  of  office  expires  with  the  3d  of  March 
(of  which  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt,  and  which  the  laws  bear 
ing  on  the  subject  uniformly  recognize),  and  in  consideration  of 
the  possibility  that  the  lawfully  elected  President  may  not  appear 


T54         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

until  the  5th  of  March,  a  great  deal  of  responsibility  may  neces 
sarily  fall  upon  you.  You  hold  over.  You  will  have  power  and 
prestige  to  support  you.  The  Secretary  of  War,  too,  probably 
holds  over  ;  but,  if  no  President  appears,  he  may  not  be  able  to 
exercise  functions  in  the  name  of  a  President,  for  his  proper  acts 
are  of  a  known  superior,  a  lawful  President.  You  act  on  your 
own  responsibility,  and  by  virtue  of  a  Commission  only  restricted 
by  the  law.  The  Secretary  of  War  is  only  the  mouth-piece  of  a 
President.  You  are  not.  If  neither  candidate  has  a  Constitu 
tional  majority  of  the  Electoral  College,  or  the  Senate  and  House 
on  the  occasion  of  the  count  do  not  unite  in  declaring  some  per 
son  legally  elected  by  the  people,  there  is  a  lawful  machinery 
already  provided  to  meet  that  contingency,  and  to  decide  the 
question  peacefully.  It  has  not  been  recently  used,  no  occasion 
presenting  itself ;  but  our  forefathers  provided  it.  It  has  been 
exercised,  and  has  been  recognized  and  submitted  to  as  lawful  on 
every  hand.  That  machinery  would  probably  elect  Mr.  Tilden 
President  and  Mr.  Wheeler  Vice-President.  That  would  be 
right  enough,  for  the  law  provides  that  in  failure  to  elect  duly  by 
the  people,  the  House  shall  immediately  elect  the  President,  and 
the  Senate  the  Vice-President.  Some  tribunal  must  decide 
whether  the  people  have  duly  elected  a  President. 

"  I  presume,  of  course,  that  it  is  in  the  joint  affirmative  action 
of  the  Senate  and  House  ;  why  are  they  present  to  witness  the 
count,  if  not  to  see  that  it  is  fair  and  just?  If  a  failure  to  agree 
arises  between  the  two  bodies,  there  can  be  no  lawful  affirmative 
decision  that  the  people  have  elected  a  President,  and  the  House 
must  then  proceed  to  act,  not  the  Senate.  The  Senate  elects 
Vice-Presidents,  not  Presidents.  Doubtless,  in  case  of  a  failure 
by  the  House  to  elect  a  President  by  the  4th  of  March,  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  Senate  (if  there  be  one)  would  be  the  legitimate  per 
son  to  exercise  Presidential  authority  for  the  time  being,  or  until 
the  appearance  of  a  lawful  President,  or  for  the  time  laid  down  in 
the  Constitution.  Such  a  course  would  be  a  peaceful  and,  I 
have  a  firm  belief,  a  lawful  one. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  Governor  Hayes  would  make  an  excellent 
President.  I  have  met  him,  and  know  of  him.  For  a  brief  peri 
od  he  served  under  my  command;  but  as  the  matter  stands  I 


A  LETTER  TO  GENERAL  SHERMAN.        155 

can't  see  any  likelihood  of  his  being  duly  declared  elected  by  the 
people,  unless  the  Senate  and  House  come  to  be  in  accord  as  to 
that  fact,  and  the  House  would  of  course,  not  otherwise  elect  him. 

"  What  the  people  want  is  a  peaceful  determination  of  this 
matter,  as  fair  a  determination  as  possible,  and  a  lawful  one.  No 
other  determination  could  stand  the  test. 

"  The  country,  if  not  plunged  into  revolution,  would  become 
poorer  day  by  day,  business  would  languish,  and  our  bonds  would 
come  home  to  find  a  depreciated  market. 

"  I  was  not  in  favor  of  the  military  action  in  South  Carolina 
recently,  and  if  General  Ruger  had  telegraphed  to  me  or  asked 
advice,  I  would  have  advised  him  not,  under  any  circumstances, 
to  allow  himself  or  his  troops  to  determine  who  were  the  lawful 
members  of  a  State  Legislature.  I  could  have  given  him  no  bet 
ter  advice  than  to  refer  him  to  the  special  message  of  the  Pres 
ident  in  the  case  of  Louisiana  some  time  before.  But  in  South 
Carolina  he  had  the  question  settled  by  a  decision  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  State,  the  highest  tribunal  which  has  acted  on  the 
question,  so  that  his  line  of  duty  seemed  even  to  be  clearer  than 
the  action  in  the  Louisiana  case.  If  the  Federal  Court  had  in 
terfered  and  overruled  the  decision  of  the  State  Court,  there  might 
have  been  a  doubt,  but  the  Federal  Court  only  interfered  to  com 
plicate,  not  to  decide  or  overrule.  Anyhow,  it  is  no  business  of  the 
Army  to  enter  upon  such  questions,  and  even  if  it  might  be  so,  in 
any  event,  if  the  Civil  authority  is  supreme,  as  the  Constitution 
declares  it  to  be,  the  South  Carolina  case  was  one  in  which  the 
Army  had  a  plain  duty.  Had  General  Ruger  asked  for  advice, 
and  I  had  given  it,  I  should  of  course  have  notified  you  of  my 
action  immediately,  so  that  I  could  have  been  promptly  overruled 
if  it  should  have  been  deemed  advisable  by  you  or  other  superior 
authority.  General  Ruger  did  not  ask  for  my  advice,  and  I  in 
ferred  from  that  and  other  facts  that  he  did  not  desire  it,  or, 
being  in  direct  communication  with  my  military  superiors  at  the 
seat  of  Government,  who  were  nearer  to  him  in  time  and  distance 
than  I  was,  he  deemed  it  unnecessary.  As  General  Ruger  had 
the  ultimate  responsibility  of  action,  and  had  really  the  greater 
danger  to  confront  in  the  final  action  in  the  matter,  I  did  not  ven 
ture  to  embarrass  him  by  suggestions.  He  was  a  Department 


156         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Commander,  and  the  lawful  head  of  the  military  administration 
within  the  limits  of  the  Department;  besides,  I  knew  he  had  been 
called  to  Washington  for  consultation  before  taking  command, 
and  was  probably  aware  of  the  views  of  the  Administration  as  to 
Civil  affairs  in  his  command.  I  knew  that  he  was  in  direct 
communication  with  my  superiors  in  authority,  in  reference  to  the 
delicate  subject  presented  for  his  consideration,  or  had  ideas  of 
his  own  which  he  believed  to  be  sufficiently  in  accord  with  the 
views  of  our  common  superior  to  enable  him  to  act  intelligently, 
according  to  his  judgment  and  without  suggestions  from  those  not 
on  the  spot,  and  not  so  fully  acquainted  with  the  facts  as  himself. 
He  desired  to  be  free  to  act,  as  he  had  the  eventual  responsibility, 
and  so  the  matter  was  governed  as  between  him  and  myself. 

"  As  I  have  been  writing  thus  freely  to  you,  I  may  still  further 
unbosom  myself  by  stating  that  I  have  not  thought  it  lawful  or 
wise  to  use  Federal  troops  in  such  matters  as  have  transpired  east 
of  the  Mississippi,  within  the  last  few  months,  save  as  far  as  they 
may  be  brought  into  action  under  the  Constitution,  which  con 
templates  meeting  armed  resistance  and  invasion  of  a  State,  more 
powerful  than  the  State  authorities  can  subdue  by  the  ordinary 
processes,  and  then  only  when  requested  by  the  Legislature,  or,  if 
that  body  could  not  be  convened  in  season,  by  the  Governor;  and 
if  the  President  of  the  United  States  intervenes  in  the  matter  it 
is  a  state  of  war,  not  peace.  The  Army  is  laboring  under  disad 
vantages,  and  has  been  used  unlawfully  at  times,  in  the  judgment 
of  the  people  (in  mine  certainly),  and  we  have  lost  a  great  deal  of 
the  kindly  feeling  which  the  community  at  large  once  felt  for  us. 
It  is  time  to  stop  and  unload.  Officers  in  command  of  troops 
often  find  it  difficult  to  act  wisely  and  safely,  when  superiors  in 
authority  have  different  views  of  the  laws  from  them,  and  when 
legislation  has  sanctioned  action  seemingly  in  conflict  with  the 
fundamental  law,  and  they  generally  defer  to  the  known  judg 
ment  of  their  superiors.  Yet  the  superior  officers  of  the  Army  are 
so  regarded  iivsuch  great  crises,  and  are  held  to  such  responsibility, 
especially  those  at  or  near  the  head  of  it,  that  it  is  necessary  on 
such  momentous  occasions  to  determine  for  themselves  what  is 
lawful  and  what  is  not  lawful  under  our  system,  if  the  military 
authorities  should  be  invoked,  as  might  possibly  be  the  case  in 


A  LETTER  TO  GENERAL  SHERMAN.        157 

such  exceptional  times  when  there  existed  such  divergent  views  as 
to  the  correct  result.  The  Army  will  suffer  from  its  past  action 
if  it  has  acted  wrongfully.  Our  regular  Army  has  little  hold  upon 
the  affections  of  the  people  of  to-day,  and  its  superior  officers 
should  certainly,  as  far  as  lies  in  their  power,  legally,  and  with 
righteous  intent,  aim  to  defend  the  right,  which  to  us  is  the  law, 
and  the  institution  which  they  represent.  It  is  a  well-meaning 
institution,  and  it  would  be  well  if  it  should  have  an  opportunity 
to  be  recognized  as  a  bulwark  in  support  of  the  right  of  the  people 
and  of  the  law. 

"  I  am,  truly  yours, 

"WiNFiELD-S.  HANCOCK." 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

A  Rescinded  Order  —  General  Hancock's  Letter  to  Wm.  H.  Hurl- 
burt  —  Scheming  against  General  Hancock  —  His  Letter  to  Gen 
eral  Sherman  —  The  Great  Strikes  —  Removing  Headquarters  to 
Governor's  Island  —  Anecdote  of  Russell  Hancock. 


OOME  time  after  the  widespread  circulation  of 
the  rumor  that  General  Hancock  had  been 
ordered  to  the  Pacific  coast,  an  article  appeared  in 
the  New  York  World,  headed  "  A  Rescinded  Or 
der.  Did  General  Hancock  Refuse  to  be  Trans 
ferred  to  the  Pacific  Coast?"  In  reply  to  this 
query,  General  Hancock  thought  proper  to  write 
to  the  Editor  of  the  World  as  follows  : 

"As  an  authority  is  given  for  the  communication,  it  seems 
that  I  should  publicly  notice  the  same,  and  it  would  gratify  me 
if  you  would,  in  the  manner  you  deem  best,  make  such  correction 
as  would  be  most  likely  to  remove  any  misapprehension  on  the 
subject.  I  have  not  received  any  orders  transferring  me  from 
this  station,  nor  any  intimation  of  the  existence  or  contemplation 
of  such  orders.  Hence,  I  did  not  refuse  to  be  transferred  to  the 
Pacific  coast.  I  have  not  tendered  my  resignation.  All  of  my 
information  in  the  matter  has  been  derived  from  the  newspapers 
of  the  day.  I  had  no  communication  whatever,  relating  to  the 
subject,  with  the  authorities,  until  after  the  rumor  of  my  removal 
was  published  from  Washington  as  groundless.  Then  General 
Sherman  wrote  me  a  note  to  the  same  effect.  I  am  in  no  wise 
responsible  for  any  statement  contained  in  the  despatch  in  ques- 

158 


SCHEMING  AGAINST  GENERAL  HANCOCK.  \  59 

tion,  or  for  any  misconception  which  has  arisen  concerning  this 
subject  from  the  first  to  last.     I  am,  very  truly  yours, 

"WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

"To  Mr.    William   H.  Hurlburt,  Editor    New    York    <  World,' 
Waver ly  Place" 

Letters  of  inquiry  about  this  time  came  to  him 
from  every  source,  asking  for  an  explanation  of  the 
sudden  and  unexplained  object  of  the  Administra 
tion  in  their  proposed  course  toward  him.  Many 
suggested  that  his  absence  far  away  would  be 
advantageous,  in  the  event  of  contingencies  then 
pending,  from  the  fact  that  his  ideas  upon  Consti 
tutional  matters  were  antagonistic  to  those  who 
were  only  too  willing  to  recognize  the  power  that 
Congress  had  assumed  to  enact  new  laws  ;  laws 
for  which  there  might  have  existed  a  necessity 
while  the  clash  of  arms  continued,  but  which 
became  unconstitutional  and  arbitrary  in  time  of 
peace.  These  sentiments  were  not  confined  to  a 
few,  but  to  many — very  many — who  could  not 
sympathize,  for  that  reason,  in  some  of  the  Revised 
Statutes,  so  called ;  the  "  Reconstruction  Act,"  for 
example,  originated  for  the  sole  purpose  of  chas 
tisement  of  the  South — an  "Instrument"  which 
did  its  work  well  and  thoroughly  when  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  unscrupulous,  for  whose  purposes 
it  was  enacted. 

About  one  year  from  the  date  of  General  Han 
cock's  letter  to  General  Sherman,  in  connection 


1 60         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

with  the  rumor  of  his  change  of  station,  he  was 
informed,  and  by  one  high  in  authority,  that  the 
order  sending  him  to  the  Pacific  coast  had  actu 
ally  been  made  out  and  was  ready  for  promulga 
tion,  when  it  was  thought  advisable  not  to  issue 
it,  for  the  sake  of  General  Grant  and  his  party. 
The  motives  were  too  apparent.  The  contempla 
tion  of  such  an  order  was  never  doubted,  in  the 
opinion  of  General  Hancock,  for  one  moment,  yet 
it  was  not  for  him  to  express  it,  for  at  that  time 
his  enemies  were  persistent  in  their  efforts  to  pro 
cure  some  evidence  of  his  disloyalty,  not  only  to 
his  Government  but  to  those  above  him  in  author 
ity.  In  their  eagerness  to  seize  upon  something 
to  suit  the  popular  sentiment  (according  to  their 
reasoning  as  to  that  sentiment),  they  resorted  to  a 
very  transparent  and  novel  mode  of  entangling 
him,  which  possibly  might  have  succeeded  had  he 
been  an  officer  who  acted  upon  an  order  without 
due  reflection.  But  as  this  was  contrary  to  his  rule 
of  action,  the  plot  failed.  The  following  letter 
explains  this  : 

"  HEADQUARTERS, 
"  MILITARY  DIVISION  OF  THE  ATLANTIC, 

"NEW  YORK,  January  2,  1877. 
"  GENERAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN,  Washington,  D.  C.  : 

"  An  anonymous  communication  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
dated  Louisville,  Ky.,  December  10,  1876,  reached  my  head 
quarters  on  the  27th  of  that  month,  from  the  office  of  the  Adju 
tant-General  of  the  Army.  It  represents  that,  in  the  contemplated 


RUMORS  DURING  THE  GREAT  STRIKES.  i6l 

uprising  of  the  people  to  enforce  the  inauguration  of  Tilden  and 
Hendricks,  the  Jeffersonville  depot  is  to  be  seized,  and  is  ex 
pected  to  arm  and  clothe  the  Indiana  army  of  Democrats.  The 
endorsement  on  the  communication  made  at  your  headquarters, 
December  26,  1876,  is  as  follows:  *  Official  copy  respectfully 
referred  to  Major-General  W.  S.  Hancock,  commanding  Division 
of  the  Atlantic,  who  may  draw  a  company  from  General  Ruger, 
commanding  Department  of  the  South,  and  post  it  at  the  Jeffer 
sonville  depot,  with  orders  to  protect  it  against  any  danger.'  The 
terms  of  the  endorsement  imply  an  exercise  of  discretion  on  my 
part,  which  leads  me  to  write  you  before  taking  action.  In  my 
judgment  there  is  no  danger  of  the  kind  the  anonymous  commu 
nication  sets  forth,  or  other  kind,  at  Jeffersonville  depot  to  justify 
a  movement  of  troops  to  that  place.  Such  a  movement,  it  seems 
to  me,  would  involve  unnecessary  expense,  and  would  create  or 
increase  apprehension,  for  which  there  is  no  real  foundation. 
There  are  no  arms  or  ammunition  at  the  Jeffersonville  depot, 
and  if  such  a  force  as  is  referred  to  could  be  raised  for  rebellious 
purposes,  it  is  not  likely  that  it  would  begin  by  seizing  a  depot  of 
Army  uniforms,  and  therefore,  if  there  are  grounds  for  action  of 
the  Government,  I  see  no  danger  in  the  delay  which  will  result 
from  this  presentation  of  the  subject  to  you.  If,  however,  in 
your  better  judgment  a  company  should  be  sent  there,  it  shall 
be  promptly  done  as  soon  as  you  notify  me  to  that  effect.  As  I 
have  already  said,  I  do  not  act  at  once  because  in  your  instruc 
tions  you  say  I  may  send  a  company  there,  which  I  consider  as 
leaving  it  somewhat  discretionary  with  me.  I  returned  on  the 
3ist  of  December,  1876,  from  St.  Louis. 

"  I  am,  very  truly  yours, 

"WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 

' '  Major-General  Commanding. ' ' 

There  are  other  letters  of  great  interest  pertain 
ing  to  the  events  of  those  troublous  times,  which 
will  have  their  place  in  the  history  that  has  yet  to 
be  impartially  written.  These  letters  could  be 
produced  now,  were  it  my  purpose  to  give  more 


1 62         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINF1ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

than  my  own  personal  recollections  of  those  who 
were  nearest  to  my  husband.  He  bestowed  little 
thought  upon  partisan  assaults  and  prejudices, 
thinking  it  but  natural  that  such  means  should  be 
resorted  to  by  those  who  had  no  claims  to  recog 
nition  but  their  success  in  displacing  others,  in 
whom  merit,  honesty  and  integrity  were  para 
mount  to  all  else. 

In  July  of  the  same  year  (1877)  the  great  strikes 
and  labor  outbreaks  occurred,  necessitating  the 
calling  out  of  the  militia,  which  proved  insufficient 
to  suppress  the  rioters  who  were  engaged  in  in 
cendiary  outrages.  It  finally  became  imperative 
to  employ  a  force  of  United  States  troops  to  assist 
in  the  protection  of  public  as  well  as  private  pro 
perty.  General  Hancock  being  in  command  of  the 
Division  of  the  Atlantic,  the  weight  of  this  re 
sponsibility  fell  upon  him.  For  two  days  and 
nights,  with  occasional  snatches  of  sleep,  was  he 
at  work,  with  several  telegraph  operators,  send 
ing  and  answering  despatches  from  Maine  to 
Georgia.  After  getting  his  force  well  in  hand,  he 
started  for  Philadelphia,  where  were  established 
his  headquarters.  The  labor  imposed  upon  him 
self  and  staff  will  never  be  comprehended  by  the 
public,  but  will  surely  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  passed  through  the  ordeal.  My  hus 
band  has  often  since  referred  to  the  herculean 


VALUABLE  SERVICE  OF  THE  ARMY.  16^ 

\J 

work  that  was  performed  by  those  valuable,  in 
telligent  officers,  who  rendered  such  untiring  self- 
sacrificing  service  at  a  time,  never  more  momentous 
(not  excepting  the  period  of  the  war),  when  the 
greatest  celerity  had  to  be  used  in  the  subjugation 
of  a  class  who  were  co-operating  with  the  rioters, 
but  who  had  no  other  purpose  than  spoliation  and 
incendiarism.  The  militia  were  kept  at  bay,  while 
the  regular  Army  accomplished,  in  most  cases  by 
their  presence  alone,  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  sent.  During  the  continuance  of  the  riot  the 
destruction  to  railroad  property  was  estimated  to 
be  between  $8,000,000  and  $10,000,000. 

In  1879  General  Hancock  was  ordered  to  remove 
the  headquarters  of  the  Division  of  the  Atlantic  to 
Governor's  Island,  a  very  desirable  change,  but  one 
that  seriously  inconvenienced  the  officers,  who 
were  holding  their  houses  under  leases  of  a  year 
or  longer.  But  the  order  was  imperative :  there 
was;  no  alternative  but  to  obey,  and  continue  to 
make  monthly  payments  for  a  deserted  home,  and 
that  without  the  assistance  of  the  "  commutation  for 
quarters,"  an  allowance  which  officers  set  much 
store  by,  though  so  absurdly  inadequate  in  amount. 
It  merely  aids  an  officer  in  providing  himself  with 
shelter,  without  which  he  would  certainly  be 
found  inhabiting  an  obscure  domicile  which 
might  almost  be  purchased  for  the  amount  that  his 


164         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN*  I  ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


THE  SOLDIER'S  COMFORT.  165 

uniform  and  trappings  cost  him.  Notwithstand 
ing  the  meagre  pay  and  other  disadvantages,  this 
soldier's  life,  so  full  of  care,  excitement  and  respon 
sibility,  has  an  attractiveness  that  no  other  can 
offer.  If  it  were  not  for  the  opportunities  that 
our  Government  gives  its  servants  for  grumbling, 
the  soldier  would  be  bereft  of  half  his  comfort,  as 
there  is  nothing  commensurate  with  the  satisfaction 
of  the  military  classes  as  recounting  "grievances," 
imaginary  or  real,  that  have  been  imposed  upon 
them ;  though  in  spite  of  oft-repeated  assertions 
that,  were  they  independent  of  their  profession, 
they  would  soon  leave  Uncle  Sam  in  the  lurch,  no 
inducement  could  tempt  them  to  abandon  their 
chosen  calling.  For  nearly  eight  years  it  was  ac 
corded  us  to  enjoy  this  peaceful,  happy  home  on 
Governor's  Island.  The  marriage  of  my  husband's 
niece  and  adopted  daughter  shortly  after  our  re 
moval  to  Governor's  Island,  brought  sunlight  into 
our  home,  being  the  first  event  that  necessitated 
our  emerging  from  the  seclusion,  gloom  and  de 
pression  that  had  overshadowed  our  lives  since 
the  death  of  our  daughter,  five  years  before.  It 
may  be  that  in  my  personal  reminiscences  of  my 
husband  I  ought  to  dwell  more  on  the  children  of 
our  hearth-stone — the  children  whom  he  so  de 
votedly  loved,  and  who  made  so  large  a  portion 
of  the  sunshine  of  our  home;  a  dear  and  only  son, 


I  66          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

a  dear  and  only  daughter.  But  I  dare  not  trust 
myself  to  recall  those  loved  so  fondly,  and  lost  so 
long  before  the  time  up  to  which  I  might  reason 
ably  have  expected  them  to  live.  Our  young 
daughter,  Ada,  grew  up  beside  us  a  fair,  tender 
plant;  to  be,  unlike  other  children,  in  many  things 
thoughtful  and  sympathetic,  beyond  her  years  in 
her  intellectual  pursuits  and  grave  thoughts. 
Standing  on  the  threshold  of  womanhood,  with  all 
the  dreams  and  hopes  of  a  long  life  before  her,  with 
but  brief  note  of  warning  the  summons  came.  She 
left  us  and  earth  life  at  twenty-eight  years  of  age, 
March  28,  1875.  This  heavy  blow  had  been  aimed 
in  the  right  direction,  if  designed  to  prepare  and 
reconcile  us  to  the  various  misfortunes  which  were 
portioned  out,  from  that  hour  to  the  final  parting 
of  two  lives  more  closely  cemented  than  ordinarily, 
by  reason  of  the  eventful  years  that  we  shared  to 
gether.  Our  son  Russell  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  where  his  infancy  and  early  childhood  were 
spent,  his  father's  station  being  then  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  Mo.  His  academic  studies  were  pursued 
at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  under  the  tutelage  of  Dr. 
Russell.  The  bent  of  his  mind  was  in  the  direction 
of  mechanics  and  engineering,  and  with  the  view 
of  cultivating  this  talent  he  was  sent  to  Lehigh 
University,  at  Bethlehem,  Penn.,  but  he  was 
obliged  to  abandon  his  studies,  in  consequence  of 


A  STOR  Y  ABOUT  R USSELL  HANCOCK.  \  6  7 

his  health,  before  the  completion  of  his  c  "/arse.  At 
the  time  of  his  death,  December  30,  1884,  he  was 
engaged  in  the  management  of  an  extensive  cot 
ton  plantation  on  the  Sunflower  River,  Coahoma 
County,  Miss.  He  was  a  close  student  of  the  labor 
problem  of  the  South,  and  by  his  tact  and  skill 
became  one  of  the  most  popular  planters  in  his 
locality,  which  enabled  him  to  secure  abundant 
labor,  not  always  an  easy  thing  to  do.  He  was 
approachable,  gentle  and  forgiving;  his  genial, 
manly  qualities  endeared  him  to  friends  and  as 
sociates.  I  will  repeat  a  story  once  told  of  him  by 
Reverend  Dr.  —  — ,  of  the  North  Mississippi 
Presbytery,  who  first  met  Russell  Hancock  on 
the  James  Lee,  a  local  packet  plying  between 
Friar's  Point  and  Memphis,  Tenn.  The  Doctor 
was  reading  Herbert  Spencer  on  "  Education," 
when  a  mutual  friend  brought  the  two  together. 
"  Doctor,"  said  Russell,  "  I  have  a  fine  boy  at  home; 
will  you  tell  me  how  to  educate  him  ?  "  The  an 
swer  came  :  "lam  reading  the  best  book  in  the 
English  language  on  that  very  subject;  let  me  offer 
it  to  you  as  a  guide  and  as  a  mark  of  my  respect. 
And  now,  Mr.  Hancock,  may  I,  in  turn,  ask  you  a 
question  ?  How  did  you  acquire  your  popular  man 
ner  ?  I  have  observed  that  you  are  as  courteous  to 
the  boot-black  as  to  the  captain?"  "I  came  by  it 
honestly,  sir,  I  suppose;  my  father  has  always  im- 


l68          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


RUSSELL   HANCOCK. 


A  STOR  Y  ABOUT  RUSSELL  HANCOCK.  \  69 

pressed  on  my  mind  that  all  men  are  born  free  and 
equal."  Said  the  Doctor  :  "  With  such  a  father,  it 
seems  to  me  one  would  be  a  little  puffed  up." 
"Not  in  the  slightest,  Doctor;  while  I  am  justly 
proud  of  such  a  father,  yet  I  claim  nothing-  from 
my  fellow-man  on  his  account."  This  illustration 
is  perfect  of  his  character. 

"  Unheeded  o'er  his  silent  dust 
The  storms  of  life  will  beat." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

General  Hancock  nominated  for  President — His  Acceptance — The 
Campaign — How  he  Accepted  the  News  of  His  Defeat — The 
Yorktown  Celebration — Death  of  Russell  Hancock — Death  ol 
General  Hancock— His  Character — Conclusion. 

IN  1880  General  Hancock  was  nominated  by  the 
Democratic   party  for   the  Presidency.      The 
Hon.    Daniel    Dougherty,    of    Pennsylvania,    ad 
dressed  the  Convention  in  the  following  eloquent 
language : 

"  MR.  CHAIRMAN  : 

"I  propose  to  present  to  the  thoughtful  consideration  of  the 
Convention  the  name  of  one  who  on  the  battle-field  was  styled 
the  superb,'  yet  won  a  still  nobler  renown  as  a  military  governor, 
whose  first  act,  when  in  command  in  Louisiana  and  Texas,  was  to 
salute  the  Constitution  by  proclaiming  that  '  the  military  rule 
shall  ever  be  subservient  to  the  civil  power.'  The  plighted  word 
of  a  soldier  was  proved  by  the  acts  of  a  statesman.  I  nominate 
one  whose  name  will  suppress  all  faction,  which  will  be  alike 
acceptable  to  the  North  and  South,  a  nomination  that  will  thrill 
the  Republic  ;  the  name  of  a  man  who,  if  nominated,  will  crush 
the  last  embers  of  sectional  strife,  and  whose  name  will  be  the 
dawning  of  that  day  so  long  looked  for,  the  day  of  perpetual 
brotherhood  among  the  people  of  America.  With  him  as  our 
champion,  we  can  fling  away  our  shield  and  wage  an  aggressive 
war.  With  him,  we  can  appeal  to  the  supreme  majesty  of  the 
American  people  against  the  corruption  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  their  untold  violations  of  Constitutional  liberty.  With  him 

170 


ACCEPTING  THE  NOMINA  TION.  \  j  \ 

as  our  standard  bearer,  the  bloody  banner  of  Republicanism  will 
fall  palsied  to  the  ground.  Oh,  my  countrymen  !  in  this  supreme 
hour,  when  the  destinies  of  the  Republic,  when  the  imperiled 
liberties  of  the  people,  are  in  your  hands,  pause,  reflect,  take  heed, 
make  no  mistakes.  I  say  I  nominate  one  whose  nomination 
would  carry  every  State  of  the  South.  I  nominate  one  who  will 
carry  Pennsylvania,  carry  Indiana,  carry  Connecticut,  carry  New 
Jersey,  carry  New  York.  I  propose  the  name — (a  voice — *  Carry 
Ohio?').  Aye,  carry  Ohio — I  propose  the  name  of  the  soldier- 
statesman,  whose  record  is  as  stainless  as  his  sword — Winfield 
Scott  Hancock." 

His  nomination  was  formally  announced  to  him 
by  John  W.  Stevenson,  President  of  the  Conven 
tion,  on  July  13,  1880,  and  replied  to  as  follows: 

"  MR.  CHAIRMAN  AND  GENTLEMEN  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  : 

"  I  appreciate  the  honor  conferred  upon  me  by  the  National 
Democratic  Convention  lately  assembled  in  Cincinnati.  I  thank 
you  for  your  courtesy  in  making  that  honor  known  to  me.  As 
soon  as  the  importance  of  the  matter  permits,  I  will  prepare  and 
send  to  you  a  formal  acceptance  of  my  nomination  to  the  office 
of  President  of  the  United  States." 

The  mournful  event  of  the  death  of  our  grand 
son,  my  husband's  namesake  (a  bright,  win 
some  little  fellow),  which  occurred  at  7  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  day  upon  which  this  official 
announcement  was  made,  changed  an  occasion 
which  should  have  been  cheerful  and  congratula 
tory.  Where  congratulations  and  rejoicing  were 
to  have  reigned,  a  stillness  of  death  pervaded  the 
ceremony  of  announcement.  Why  was  it  decreed 
that  at  the  moment  of  exultation  and  rejoicing,  a 


I  72         REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

cloud  as  impenetrable  as  death  itself  should  over 
shadow  ? 

The  campaign  followed,  and  in  nowise  differed 
from  others.  Our  home  was  .invaded  from  the 
beginning1  to  the  end.  All  was  turmoil,  excite 
ment  and  discomfort  of  every  known  kind.  The 
conclusion  was  earnestly  wished  for,  by  none  more 
eagerly  than  by  General  Hancock  himself.  The 
ordeal  to  him  was  severe,  requiring  herculean 
strength  the  entire  campaign.  Indeed,  he  was 
never  afterwards  so  robust  in  health. 

At  7  o'clock,  p.  M.,  on  the  day  of  the  elec 
tion,  he  yielded  to  the  extreme  weariness  and 
prostration  that  ensued  from  his  five  months' 
labors  and  went  to  bed,  begging  me  under  no  cir 
cumstances  to  disturb  him,  as  the  result  would  be 
known  sooner  or  later,  and  to-morrow  would  be 
time  enough.  At  5  o'clock  on  the  following 
morning  he  inquired  of  me  the  news.  I  replied,  "  It 
has  been  a  complete  Waterloo  for  you."  "  That 
is  all  right,"  said  he,  "I  can  stand  it,"  and  in 
another  moment  he  was  again  asleep.  An  ex 
traordinarily  balanced  temperament,  it  then  oc 
curred  to  me,  as  often  before;  one  that  was 
never  quite  comprehended  by  his  superiors, 
or,  indeed,  by  those  who  were  the  nearest  to  him. 
The  only  disappointment  that  he  gave  expression 
to,  was  the  difference  that  his  defeat  would  make 


174 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


in  the  future  of  many  of  his  friends,  who  had  suf 
fered  long  and  in  various  ways  in  consequence  of 
their  adherence  to  his  cause.  He  accepted,  how 
ever,  the  situation  as  a  soldier,  not  as  a  politician. 
Still,  he  desired  to  live  long  enough  to  see  his 
party  once  more  in  power. 

His  defeat  determined  him  never  again  to  per 
mit  his  name  to  come  prominently,  in  a  political 
sense,  before  the  people,  so  displeased  was  he  with 
the  lack  of  earnestness,  that  was  observed  and  re 
ported  by  active,  disinterested  friends,  on  the  part 
of  some  of  those  in  charge  of  the  campaign,  and 
the  inaction  of  many  of  the  pretended  leaders, 
who  manifested  their  discontent  by  indifference 
throughout  the  campaign.  With  all  this,  includ 
ing  the  successful  attempt  to  amalgamate  tickets, 
which  were  drawn  by  hundreds  who  have  since 
testified  to  the  fact,  from  Tammany  boxes,  his 
popularity  and  strength  before  the  people  could 
not  be  concealed,  for  the  successful  candidate  re 
ceived  a  plurality  of  only  7,018  out  of  a  total  pop 
ular  vote  of  9,000,000. 

Besides  this,  General  Hancock  was  told  by  a 
prominent  and  well-known  man  of  New  York 
City,  who  offered  to  give  evidence  of  the  fact,  that 
five  thousand  of  his  votes  were  cast  into  the  Hud 
son  River.  Others  since  have  corroborated  this 
statement. 


A  TTENDING  THE  IN  A  UG  URA  TION.  \  7  5 

A  few  days  after,  while  the  events  of  the  elec 
tion  were  under  discussion,  General  Hancock 
remarked  that  he  was  entirely  satisfied  with  the 
result ;  that  while  it  was  his  firm  conviction  that 
he  had  been  really  elected,  and  then  defrauded,  he 
would  not  exchange  positions  with  Garfield  for 
any  earthly  inducement. 

With  the  characteristic  earnestness  which  en 
tered  into  every  duty  entrusted  him,  he  attended 
the  inauguration  of  his  rival,  and,  I  should  judge 
from  his  own  account,  rather  enjoyed  the  occasion. 
He  received  many  letters  inquiring  whether  it  was 
his  purpose  to  assist  in  this  ceremony,  to  all  of 
w^hich  he  replied  in  a  similar  vein  to  the  letter  I 
give  here,  written  the  evening  before  starting  for 
Washington. 

"  Yes,  I  am  going  to  Washington  on  the  3d  of  March  for  a 
few  days.  General  Sherman,  my  commanding  officer,  has  asked 
me  to  be  present.  I  have  no  right  to  any  personal  feeling  in  the 
matter.  It  is  clearly  my  duty  as  a  soldier  to  obey.  A  Demo 
cratic  Congress  has  formally  announced  that  the  people  have  duly 
elected  a  President,  and  that  is  James  A.  Garfield.  It  certainly 
seems  that  a  Democratic  candidate  should  be  there  to  support 
the  assertion,  otherwise  he  would  not  be  a  good  Democrat.  Vox 
populi,  vox  Dei.  The  will  of  the  majority  rules,  you  know.  What 
I  can  do  in  Washington,  with  dignity,  I  shall  do.  I  do  not  expect 
to  be  in  advance  of,  or  follow,  the  triumphal  car,  either  on  foot  or 
on  horseback.  I  only  expect  to  do  my  level  best.  The  situation 
does  not,  from  this  standpoint,  look  very  well.  I  hope  it  may 
look  better  as  I  look  back.  I  wonder  how  they  did  these  things 
in  Rome.  I  have  read  of  the  Roman  ways,  to  be  sure,  but  it  was 


1  ;6         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

a  long  time  ago.  When  I  return  from  Washington  I  can  tell  you 
how  the  Americans  do  it  under  the  new  census.  Fifty  millions 
of  people  have  a  way  of  their  own,  you  know.  I  hope  you  are 
well,  and  may  I  live  to  see  a  Democratic  President. 

"  I  am,  yours  very  truly, 

"  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK." 

He  never  lived  to  realize  what  he  had  hoped  for 
in  the  change. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  General  Hancock  was  called 
upon  to  take  charge  of  the  Yorktown  celebration, 
entertaining"  the  nation's  guests  on  the  occasion  of 
the  Centennial  celebration  of  the  surrender  of 
Lord  Cornwallis.  In  order  to  make  this  interest 
ing  event  a  success,  carte-blanche  was  given  him  by 
the  authorities  at  Washington,  which  enabled  him, 
without  fear  of  disapproval,  to  make  the  affair 
brilliant  and  a  credit  to  his  Government.  In  a  very 
interesting  work,  just  completed,  by  Monsieur  le 
Marquis  de  Rochambeau,  entitled  "Yorktown 
Centenaire  de  1'Independence  des  Etats  Unis 
d'Amerique,  1781-1881,"  he  gives  a  most  pleasing 
history  of  his  experiences  during  that  memorable 
visit  to  America.  Among  other  things,  he  writes 
of  Yorktown: 

"At  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  General  Hancock  gave  a 
lunch  on  board  of  the  steamer  St.  John.  Among  the  invited  were 
President  Arthur,  Hon.  David  Davis,  President  of  the  Senate, 
Admiral  Wyman,  a  large  number  of  Army  and  Navy  officers, 
Members  of  Congress  and  all  the  Governors  representing  the 
different  States  at  Yorktown.  All  the  French  and  German  dele- 


THE  YORKTO  WN  CELEBRA  TION.  \  7  7 

gates  were  present.  This  lunch,  really  a  dinner,  was  served  in 
the  salon  of  the  St.  John.  It  was  impossible  to  see  anything 
more  complete  or  more  luxurious  in  its  completeness,  'mets  recher- 
che's,  vins  exquisj  nothing  was  wanting.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  if 
General  Hancock  is  a  good  general,  he  is  no  less  a  thoughtful  and 
gracious  host.  Pretty  staterooms  for  rest  had  been  prepared  for 
the  guests,  and  the  General  had  put  at  the  disposal  of  the  ladies 
a  charming  salon,  decorated  with  flowers  and  elegant  draperies, 
where  the  French  flag  was  found  in  all  possible  and  imaginable 
forms.  At  4  o'clock  the  President,  accompanied  by  his  officers 
and  his  Cabinet,  and  the  delegation,  went  on  board  his  yacht,  the 
Despatch.  The  Trenton,  which  carried  the  Admiral's  flag,  gave 
ihe  signal  for  the  manoeuvres  and  evolutions  of  the  Navy.  This 
naval  review  was  one  of  the  grandest  and  most  imposing  spec 
tacles  that  we  saw  while  in  the  United  States." 


This  Centennial  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those 
who'were  privileged  to  take  part  in  or  witness  the 
grand  military  observances  that  were  marked  out 
for  each  day,  and  the  other  ceremonies  equally 
novel  and  interesting. 

In  the  spring  of  1883  my  dear  mother  was  taken 
from  us.  She  was  a  tower  of  strength  within  the  fam 
ily  circle,  and  could  not  well  be  spared.  The  death 
of  our  son,  who  left  a  young  wife  and  three  little 
children,  closely  followed.  This  last  and  final  blow 
produced  a  fatal  impress  upon  my  husband's  mind, 
though  he  endeavored  to  convince  me,  as  well  as 
himself,  that  he  had  accepted  with  resignation  this 
last  strange  dispensation,  as  it  appeared  to  him, 
and  would  chide  me  for  not  making  an  effort  to 
reconcile  my  stricken  heart  to  the  inevitable,  as  he 


I  78         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

had  done.  Surely,  there  are  as  many  and  as  hard- 
fought  battles  in  life,  requiring  steadfast  faith  and 
endurance,  as  there  are  on  a  military  field.  It 
seems,  sometimes,  that  the  noblest  natures  have  to 
meet  and  overcome  the  greatest  and  most  frequent 
trials,  permitted,  perhaps,  by  the  Supreme  Power, 
that  the  spirit  so  fiercely  tried  by  the  storm  may 
be  worthy,  when  transplanted,  of  that  wonderous 
world  beyond,  where  alone  it  shall  be  perfected. 
We  feel  keenly,  many  times,  that  which  affects 
those  we  love,  more  than  we  do  that  which  affects 
ourselves;  and  watching  my  husband  with  the  anx 
iety  of  a  wife,  I  felt  gladdened  by  seeing  that  the 
misconceptions  or  detractions  which  wounded  his 
sensitive  nature,  served  at  the  same  time  to 
strengthen  the  high  and  steadfast  purposes  which 
he  believed  to  be  sacredly  entrusted  to  him. 

General  Hancock  was  seen  for  the  last  time  in 
public,  in  his  official  capacity,  commanding  the  pa 
geant  that  escorted  the  remains  of  General  Grant 
to  their  final  resting-place,  Riverside  Park.  His 
position  as  Commanding  General  of  the  Division 
of  the  Atlantic  made  it  eminently  proper  that  he 
should  have  been  entrusted  with  all  preparations  for 
this  ceremony,  which  he  was  authorized  to  make 
"  one  of  the  grandest  and  most  impressive  displays 
that  lay  within  his  power."  His  soldier-like  direct- 
.ness  served  him  faithfully  upon  this  occasion.  How 


LIFE  ON  GOVERNOR'S  ISLAND.  I  79 

well  he  performed  the  arduous  and  difficult  duty, 
his  fellow-countrymen  well  know  without  further 
mention. 

General  Hancock  was  now  the  senior  major-gen 
eral  of  the  Army,  but  had  reason  to  hope  and  be 
lieve  that  promotion  would  soon  come  to  him. 
Besides  the  honor  attached  to  the  grade,  he  was  in 
hopes  of  the  retention  of  his  full  salary  by  a  spe 
cial  Act  of  Congress,  when  his  term  of  service  ex 
pired.  But  this  recognition,  like  all  others  within 
my  recollection,  was  slow  in  corning,  and  he  had 
about  given  it  up.  Not  infrequently  would  he 
reply  to  my  impatience,  "  I  consider  that  I  am  well 
paid  for  my  services,  and  am  satisfied,  particularly 
so  that  I  am  indebted  to  no  one  but  myself  for  the 
rank  that  I  hold  and  the  privileges  that  belong  to 
it."  Never  was  favoritism  shown  him.  Of  this 
fact  he  was  well  aware,  and  would  say,  often,  "  I 
cannot  afford  to  make  mistakes,  and  must  strive  to 
commit  none."  Governor's  Island  being  so  near 
to  New  York  City,  our  social  requirements  had 
become  very  irksome  and  exacting.  Few  distin 
guished  guests  were  permitted  to  leave  the  metro 
polis  without  a  full  inspection  of  a  "  model  United 
States  fort."  Other  strangers  passing  through  the 
city  would  naturally  desire  to  pay  their  respects  to 
the  soldier  for  whom  they  had  voted  for  President 
of  the  United  States.  These  constant  social  re- 


l8o          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

quirements  imposed,  necessarily,  additional  labors, 
which  were  cheerfully  and  ably  performed.  Gen 
eral  Hancock  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  untiring 
in  his  work,  and  demanded  of  his  staff-officers  or 
privates  the  same  devotion,  always  recognizing 
their  services  by  showing,  in  a  cordial  way,  his 
appreciation  of  their  efforts,  and  rewarding  them 
accordingly.  He  wras  not  without  his  faults,  nor 
was  he  incapable  of  enmities ;  on  the  contrary, 
with  his  peculiar  temperament  and  a  frankness 
thoroughly  characteristic,  his  intentions  and  mo 
tives  were  often  misunderstood.  When  at  fault 
himself,  he  quickly  made  amends.  To  his  supe 
riors  he  was  uniformly  courteous,  quick  to  form 
decisions,  but  careful  and  judicious  in  expressing 
himself  ;  never  volunteering  opinion  except  when 
called  upon,  and  then  speaking  with  an  earnest 
ness  of  honest  convictions,  which  often  convinced 
others  of  the  sense  and  justice  of  his  views.  In 
concluding  my  recollections  I  wish  to  say,  that,  if 
nothing  more  could  be  claimed  for  my  husband 
than  his  devotion  to  duty  and  strong  principles 
of  liberty,  which  he  had  the  moral  courage  to  pro 
claim  in  face  of  political  fanaticism,  these  consti 
tute  a  remembrance  worthy  of  the  perfect  soldier, 
patriot,  husband  and  father,  from  the  beginning  of 
his  eventful  career  until  the  hour  in  which  he  was 
called  upon  to  yield  up  his  pure  soul  to  God. 


"  Came  an  angel  in  the  morning, 

When  the  tides  go  out  to  sea, 
Saying,  *  There  is  one  among  you 

That  must  rise  and  go  with  me.' 
To  the  sound  of  lamentation, 

Muffled  drum  and  cannon's  roll. 
From  the  Fort  of  Castle  Williams 

Passed  the  great  commander's  soul. 

"  To  the  starry  cluster  beaming 

In  the  blue  midnight  skies, 
Ancients  say  a  star  is  added 

When  a  gallant  soldier  dies; 
And  amid  the  evening  ether, 

When  the  guns  of  sunset  roll, 
O'er  the  Fort  of  Castle  Williams 

Shines  the  great  commander's  soul." 


— Miss  Irving, 


CAMPAIGN   BADGE,    l88o. 


APPENDIX   A. 

Narrative  of  the  Operations  of  the  Second  Army  Corps,  from  the 
time  General  Hancock  assumed  command,  June  9,  1863 
(relieving  Major-Gcneral  D.  N.  Couch),  until  the  close  of  the 
Battle  of  Gettysburg.  By  General  C.  H.  Morgan,  late  Chief  of 
Staff,  Second  Army  Corps. 

A/TAJOR-GENERAL  D.  N.  COUCH  was  re 
lieved  from  the  command  of  the  Second 
Corps  on  the  gth  of  June,  1863,  in  pursuance  of 
his  personal  request  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  and 
General  Hancock  succeeded  to  the  command. 
There  was,  perhaps,  no  other  officer  of  the  Army 
so  strong  in  the  confidence  of  the  Corps,  or  who 
could  have  succeeded  to  Sumner  and  Couch  so 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  troops.  Antietam, 
Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville  had  raised  his 
reputation  as  a  division  commander  to  the  highest 
point,  and  his  appointment  to  the  command  of  the 
Corps  was  a  matter  about  which  there  could  have 
been  no  question.  Indeed,  it  was  contemplated, 
before  it  was  known  that  General  Couch  was  to 
leave  the  Corps,  to  place  General  Hancock  in  com 
mand  of  the  cavalry  corps,  and  he  was  urged 
strongly  by  the  most  conspicuous  and  able  officers 


182 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  183 

of  the  cavalry  arm — General  Buford  and  Colonel 
Davis — to  accept  the  command.  General  Han 
cock  did  not  desire  this  command,  but  finally 
agreed  to  accept  it  for  the  coming  battle.  Cir 
cumstances,  however,  occurred,  making  an  imme 
diate  change  of  commanders  impracticable,  and 
before  the  matter  was  revived  the  vacancy  in  the 
Second  Corps  occurred. 

General  Caldwell  succeeded  to  the  command  of 
the  first  division.  The  other  divisions  were  com 
manded  by  Generals  Gibbon  and  Hays.  French 
commanded  the  third  division  when  the  Corps 
left  Falmouth,  but  was  relieved  from  the  Second 
Corps,  June  24,  1863,  and  assigned  to  another  com 
mand. 

On  the  night  of  the  i3th  and  morning  of  the 
1 4th  of  June,  the  Corps  commenced  its  march  with 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  confront  Lee's  inva 
sion  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Corps  moved  on  the 
right  flank  of  the  army,  by  way  of  Acquia  Creek, 
Dumfries,  Wolf-run  Shoals  and  Sangster's  station 
to  Centreville.  These  marches  were  devoid  of 
particular  incident,  those  of  the  first  and  second 
day,  however,  being  marches  of  excessive  fatigue, 
on  account  of  the  dust  and  heat.  The  Corps  re 
mained  at  Centreville  from  the  i8th  to  the  2ist, 
when  it  moved  across  Bull  Run  to  Thoroughfare 
Gap  to  watch  the  passes.  The  Corps  was  with- 


I  84          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

drawn  on  the  24th.  Simultaneously  with  its  with 
drawal  the  Confederate  General  Stuart's  cavalry 
passed  up  the  turnpike  from  New  Baltimore  to 
Gainesville,  and  at  Hay  Market  fired  a  few  shots 
from  a  battery  into  the  flank  of  the  Corps.  The 
battery  was  rapidly  driven  off,  and  Stuart  pro 
ceeded  on  the  raid,  which  had  no  other  result  than 
to  deprive  Lee  of  his  services  at  a  most  critical 
juncture.  The  Corps  camped  for  the  night  at 
June  Spring.  Abercrombie's  troops  from  Centre- 
ville  joined  the  Corps  at  this  point,  and  as  General 
Abercrombie  remained  with  the  Corps  but  one 
day,  General  Alexander  Hays  became  the  senior 
officer  present  with  the  third  division,  and  fell  to 
its  command. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th  the  Corps  crossed 
the  Potomac  at  Edward's  Ferry.  On  the  follow 
ing  day  it  moved  to  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  2;th  to  Monocacy  Junction, 
near  Frederick.  General  Meade  assumed  com 
mand  of  the  Army  this  day.  On  the  morning  of 
the  2Qth  the  Army  was  again  in  motion  towards 
Gettysburg.  The  Second  Corps  was  to  have 
moved  at  4  A.  M.,  but  through  a  blunder  on  the 
part  of  the  bearer  of  despatches  the  order  was  not 
received  till  6  A.  M.,  and  it  was  8  o'clock  before  the 
Corps  was  in  motion.  At  10  o'clock  at  night,  how 
ever,  the  head  of  the  column  was  halted  between 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  185 

Westminster  and  Unionville,  thirty-two  miles  from 
the  point  of  starting — a  long  march,  considering 
that  the  Corps  train,  nearly  eight  miles  long, 
accompanied  the  column,  and  that  the  heat  was 
intense.  Immediately  on  bivouacking,  General 
Hancock  ascertained  that  Stuart's  cavalry  was  at 
Westminster.  Considering  this  information  of 
prime  importance,  he  despatched  a  staff-officer  to 
Army  headquarters  with  the  intelligence.  Gen 
eral  Meade  sent  for  General  Pleasonton,  who 
stated  that  he  was  informed  that  General  Gregg 
occupied  Westminster,  and  persisting  in  this  state 
ment.  The  report  of  General  Hancock  was  discred 
ited,  and  Stuart  moved  off  without  molestation 
late  the  next  morning.  The  mistake  of  Pleasonton 
probably  arose  from  confounding  the  name  of  the 
place  really  occupied  by  General  Gregg,  New 
Windsor,  with  Westminster. 

The  Second  Corps  rested  on  the  3oth,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  ist  of  July  moved  to  Taney- 
town,  arriving  about  1 1  A.  M.  General  Hancock 
having  reported  to  General  Meade  at  his  head 
quarters,  was  now  made  acquainted  with  General 
Meade's  plan  to  deliver  battle  on  Pipe  Creek. 
General  Meade  had  heard  the  first  reports  of  the 
enemy's  appearance  at  Gettysburg,  and  felt  that 
the  matter  was  being  precipitated  heavily  upon 
him. 


1 86         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

General  Hancock  returned  to  his  command  after 
this  brief  interview,  but  had  scarcely  reached  his 
tent  when  General  Meade  and  his  chief-of-staff, 
General  Butterfield,  made  their  appearance,  the 
latter  bearing  an  order  for  General  Hancock  to 
proceed  to  Gettysburg  and  assume  command  of 
the  Eleventh,  First  and  Third  corps.  As  the  exact 
purport  of  this  order  has  been  a  subject  of  some 
controversy,  it  is  here  inserted  in  full. 

"  HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC, 

"July  i,  1863,  1:10  P.  M. 
"  COMMANDING  OFFICER  SECOND  CORPS  : 

"  The  major-general  commanding  has  just  been  informed  that 
General  Reynolds  has  been  killed,  or  badly  wounded.  He  directs 
that  you  turn  over  the  command  of  your  Corps  to  General  Gib 
bon  ;  that  you  proceed  to  the  front,  and  by  virtue  of  this  order, 
in  case  of  the  truth  of  General  Reynolds' s  death,  you  assume  com 
mand  of  the  Corps  there  assembled,  viz.,  the  Eleventh,  First  and 
Third,  at  Emmettsburg.  If  you  think  the  ground  and  position 
there  a  better  one  to  fight  a  battle,  under  existing  circumstances, 
you  will  so  advise  the  General,  and  he  will  order  all  the  troops 
up.  You  know  the  General's  views,  and  General  Warren,  who  is 
fully  aware  of  them,  has  gone  out  to  see  General  Reynolds. 

"  Later.     1:15  P.  M. 

"  Reynolds  has  possession  of  Gettysburg,  and  the  enemy  are 
reported  as  falling  back  from  the  front  of  Gettysburg.  Hold 
your  column  ready  to  move. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

{Signed)         "  D.  BUTTERFIELD, 

"Major-General  and  Chief -of -Staff:1 

It  will  be  observed  that  by  this  order  General 
Meade  placed  General  Gibbon  in  command  of  the 
vSecond  Corps,  over  the  heads  of  his  two  seniors, 


NARRA  TIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  A  RMY  CORPS.          \  g  J 

Hays  and  Caldwell ;  that  General  Hancock  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  Corps  of  his  seniors, 
Howard  and  Sickles  ;  and  that  General  Hancock 
was  to  advise  General  Meade  whether  the  ground 
and  position,  under  existing  circumstances,  was  a 
" better  one"  to  fight  a  battle,  that  all  the  troops 
might  be  ordered  up.  The  copy  of  this  order, 
filed  by  General  Meade  before  the  Committee  on 
the  Conduct  of  the  War,  differs  from  the  order 
received  by  General  Hancock,  in  that  the  word 
''better"  is  placed  in  parentheses,  and  the  word 
"suitable"  (which  does  not  occur  in  the  copy 
received  by  General  Hancock)  is  inserted  imme 
diately  after  it.  The  purport  of  this  change  is  to 
ignore  the  fact  that  General  Hancock  was  charged 
with  the  responsibility  of  deciding  between  Get 
tysburg  and  Pipe  Creek,  or,  at  least,  of  holding  on 
to  Gettysburg  until  General  Meade  could  decide. 
The  latter  claims  that  the  troops  were  ordered  up, 
irrespective  of  and  before  General  Hancock's  views 
were  known.  We  will  recur  to  this  point  when 
the  narrative  is  far  enough  advanced  to  permit  us 
to  do  so  with  clearness. 

General  Howard's  friends  have  claimed  that 
General  Meade  ordered  Hancock  up,  in  ignorance 
of  the  fact  that  General  Hancock  was  the  junior 
officer.  General  Hancock  called  General  Meade's 
attention  to  this  fact,  however,  and  the  latter  re- 


I  88         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

plied  in  substance  that  he  could  not  help  it,  that 
General  Hancock  was  acquainted  with  his  views, 
that  this  was  an  emergency  in  which  he  could  not 
stand  upon  such  a  point.  General  Hancock  was 
also  instructed  verbally  by  General  Butterfield 
that  General  Slocum,  who  had  been  summoned  to 
the  assistance  of  Howard,  would  receive  the  com 
mand  when  he  arrived  on  the  field.  General  Han 
cock  started  for  Gettysburg  about  half  past  one, 
accompanied  by  his  personal  staff,  and  twro  or 
three  other  officers  on  duty  at  his  headquarters. 
He  rode  in  an  ambulance  for  the  first  two  or  three 
miles,  for  the  purpose  of  examining1  the  maps  and 
the  instructions  concerning  the  proposed  formation 
on  Pipe  Creek.  The  rest  of  the  journey  was  per 
formed  at  a  rapid  gait  on  horseback.  The  ground 
was  closely  scanned  by  General  Hancock  as  he 
rode  along,  with  a  view  of  noting  the  defensive 
positions  which  would  be  available  should  a  retreat 
be  made  along  the  road.  About  half-way  between 
Gettysburg  and  Taneytown  an  ambulance,  accom 
panied  by  a  single  staff-officer,  and  bearing  the 
body  of  a  dead  officer,  was  met.  Inquiring  who 
it  was,  General  Hancock  was  informed  that  the 
ambulance  bore  the  remains  of  General  Reynolds. 
Near  Gettysburg  the  roads  were  blocked  with 
the  trains  of  the  troops  in  front,  so  that  an  orderly 
retreat  on  the  Taneytown  road  would  have  been 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.          189 

impossible.  General  Hancock  directed  the  trains 
to  be  retired  and  the  roads  cleared.  About 
3:30  he  reached  Cemetery  Hill.  Near  the  Cem 
etery  gate  he  met  General  Howard,  and  an 
nounced  that  he  had  been  ordered  to  assume  com 
mand.  General  Howard  did  not  ask  to  see  the 
order,  but  remarked  that  he  was  pleased  that  Gen 
eral  Hancock  had  come.  No  time  was  spent  in 
conversation,  the  pressing  duty  of  the  moment,  it 
was  evident,  being  to  establish  order  in  the  con 
fused  mass  on  Cemetery  Hill.  Buford's  cavalry 
was  holding  the  front  in  the  most  gallant  manner, 
the  horse-holders,  in  some  instances,  voluntarily 
giving  up  their  horses  to  retreating  infantrymen, 
and  going  themselves  to  the  skirmish  line.  Gen 
eral  Buford  himself  was  on  Cemetery  Hill  with 
General  Warren,  where  General  Hancock  met  them 
for  a  moment.  Generals  Howard,  Buford  and 
Warren  all  assisted  in  forming  the  troops. 

By  threats  and  persuasion  the  tide  flowing  along 
the  Baltimore  turnpike  was  diverted,  and  lines  of 
battle  formed  behind  the  stone  walls  on  either  side 
of  the  road.  To  show  the  disorder  into  which  Gen 
eral  Howard's  troops  had  been  thrown  by  the  un 
equal  conflict  they  had  waged  during  the  day,  it 
is  only  necessary  to  mention  that  1,500  fugitives 
were  collected  by  the  provost  guard  of  the 
Twelfth  Corps,  some  miles  in  rear  of  the  field. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

The  enemy's  line  of  battle  was  seen  advancing 
up  the  ravine  between  the  town  and  Gulp's  Hill, 
and  General  Hancock  sent  one  of  his  staff  to  Gen 
eral  Doubleday  for  troops  with  which  to  meet  the 
threatened  advance.  The  staff-officer  was  met 
with  a  series  of  excuses:  that  the  men  were  out  of 
ammunition,  that  they  were  disorganized  by  their 
losses,  that  they  had  no  officers,  etc.  General  Han 
cock  rode  up  behind  General  Doubleday,  and  over 
heard  these  remarks,  and  rising  indignantly  in  his 
stirrups,  with  his  hand  raised,  said  ;  "  Sir,  /  am  in 
command  on  this  field  ;  send  every  man  you  have 
got."  Wadsworth's  division  and  Hall's  Fifth 
Maine  battery  wrere  sent  to  the  western  slope  of 
Gulp's  Hill,  which  important  position  they  held 
during  the  entire  battle.  The  brave  Wadsworth 
was  by  no  means  daunted  or  weakened  by  the  day's 
work,  but  was  still  full  of  fight. 

With  reference  to  Ewell's  advance  towards 
Gulp's  Hill,  Lee's  report  says :  "  General  Ewell 
was  therefore  instructed  to  carry  the  hill  occupied 
by  the  enemy,  if  he  found  it  practicable,  but  to 
avoid  a  general  engagement  until  the  arrival  of 
the  other  divisions,  which  were  ordered  to  hasten 
forward.  In  the  meantime  the  enemy  occupied 
the  point  which  General  Ewell  designed  to  seize 
(Gulp's  Hill)."  It  will  be  seen  that  the  movement 
narrated  was,  therefore,  a  very  important  one. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  ig  j 

The  lines  having  been  so  established  as  to  deter 
the  enemy  from  further  advance,  General  Hancock 
despatched  his  senior  aide,  Major  Mitchell,  with  a 
verbal  message  to  General  Meade  that  General 
Hancock  could  hold  Cemetery  Hill  until  night-fall, 
and  that  he  considered  Gettysburg  the  place  to 
fight.  Major  Mitchell  left  Gettysburg  about  4 
o'clock,  and  arrived  at  Taneytown  before  6  o'clock. 
Having  delivered  his  message  to  General  Meade, 
the  latter  replied,  "  I  will  send  up  the  troops." 

The  following  is  the  disposition  of  the  troops,  as 
made  by  General  Hancock  :  The  First  Corps,  ex 
cept  Wadsworth's  division,  which  was  placed  as 
above,  was  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  Taneytown 
road.  The  Eleventh  Corps  was  on  its  right,  on 
both  sides  of  the  Baltimore  turnpike.  Williams's 
division  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  was  established,  by 
order  of  General  Slocum,  some  distance  to  the 
right  and  rear  of  Wadsworth.  Geary's  division  of 
the  same  Corps  was  established  by  General 
Hancock — not  being  able  to  communicate  with 
General  Slocum — to  protect  the  left  flank  by 
guarding  the  important  positions  of  Big  and  Little 
Round  Top.  Somewhat  later,  the  Second  Corps, 
which  had  moved  toward  Gettysburg  by  General 
Meade's  order,  was  halted  about  three  miles  in  the 
rear,  in  a  position  to  secure  the  left  flank  against 
any  turning  movement  around  Round  Top. 


]  92          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

At  5:25  General  Hancock  found  leisure  to  dic 
tate  a  written  despatch  to  General  Meade,  which 
was  transmitted  by  the  hands  of  Captain  Parker, 
of  General  Hancock's  staff.  This  despatch  is  here 
given  in  full  (see  page  39).  Captain  Parker  ar 
rived  at  Army  headquarters  with  the  despatch 
about  7  p.  M. 

General  Meade  states,  in  his  testimony  (see  page 
348,  Report  of  Committee  on  Conduct  of  the  War, 
Vol.  I,  1865),  that  he  had  ordered  up  the  troops 
without  waiting  for  General  Hancock's  report.  He 
speaks  of  the  above  as  General  Hancock's  first  re 
port,  forgetting  the  verbal  message  sent  an  hour 
before  by  Major  Mitchell.  We  think  General 
Meade  is  in  error  here,  for  the  following  reasons : 

First.  It  would  seem  quite  improbable  that  Gen 
eral  Meade  would  order  up  all  the  troops,  without 
knowing  whether  Gettysburg  was  a  good  position, 
or,  indeed,  without  knowing  that  General  Flan- 
cock  had  been  able  even  to  maintain  himself  there, 
and  that  he  was  not  in  full  retreat  toward  Pipe 
Creek.  It  seems  much  more  probable  that  any 
order  sending  troops  to  the  front,  before  having 
heard  from  General  Hancock,  had  reference  to  the 
position  at  Pipe  Creek,  than  that  General  Meade 
would  block  up  the  very  roads  General  Hancock 
might  be  using  in  his  retreat,  had  he  decided  to 
fall  back,  as  he  was  authorized  to  do. 


NARRATIVE  OP  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 


193 


Second.  It  seems  probable,  from  a  view  of  all  the 
circumstances,  that  the  word  "  better,"  in  the  in, 
structions  given  to  General  Hancock,  referred  to 
the  relative  merits  of  Gettysburg  and  Pipe  Creek. 
General  Meade  having  persuaded  himself,  how 
ever,  that  he  had  determined  upon  Gettysburg 
without  any  advice  from  General  Hancock,  inter 
prets  this  order  by  putting  the  word  "  better  "  in 
parentheses,  and  inserting  the  word  "  suitable," 
thus  really  changing  the  import  of  the  order. 

Third.  General  Meade's  reply  to  Major  Mit 
chell's  verbal  message  would  indicate  that  he  had 
not  previously  formed,  much  less  put  into  execu 
tion,  any  plan  of  concentration  at  Gettysburg. 

Fourth.  The  orders  for  the  Fifth  and  Sixth 
Corps  to  move  to  Gettysburg  are  dated  7  p.  M.  and 
7:30  P.  M.,  respectively,  after  the  receipt  of  General 
Hancock's  written  despatch.  General  Meade  rare 
ly,  if  ever,  moved  large  bodies  of  troops  without 
written  orders,  and  we  find  none  of  an  earlier 
date  directing  the  movements  referred  to. 

Fifth.  General  Meade  himself  was  at  first  of  the 
opinion  that  he  came  to  a  decision  upon  informa 
tion  furnished  by  General  Hancock,  for  in  his  first 
day's  evidence  (see  page  330,  Report  of  Commit 
tee  on  Conduct  of  the  War,  Vol.  I,  1865)  he  says  : 
"  Early  in  the  evening  of  July  i — I  should  sup 
pose  about  6  or  7  o'clock — I  received  a  report  from 


1 94         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIRLD  S.  HANCOCK. 

General  Hancock,  I  think  in  person,  giving  me 
such  an  account  of  a  position  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Gettysburg  which  could  be  occupied  by  my 
army,  as  caused  me  at  once  to  determine  to  fight 
a  battle  at  that  point." 

We  think  the  only  error  here  is  in  attributing 
the  report  in  question  to  General  Hancock  person 
ally  ;  but  this  is  very  natural,  for  after  sending 
three  despatches  to  General  Meade,  the  two  al 
ready  referred  to,  and  one  by  an  officer  of  his 
escort,  General  Hancock  returned  to  Taneytown 
himself,  after  having  transferred  the  command  to 
General  Slocum,  between  5:30  and  6  p.  M.  When 
he  arrived  at  Army  headquarters  he  found  General 
Meade  had  already  ordered  up  the  troops. 

Being  somewhat  exhausted  by  the  labors  of  the 
day — for  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  he  had  ridden 
from  Unionville  to  Gettysburg,  and  after  riding 
many  miles  to  and  fro  on  the  field,  back  to  Taney 
town  again — he  laid  down  for  a  couple  of  hours  to 
rest,  General  Meade  himself  starting  for  Gettys> 
burg.  Soon  after  midnight  General  Hancock 
returned  to  Gettysburg,  rejoining  the  Second 
Corps  before  its  arrival  on  the  field  at  7  A.  M.  The 
Corps  formed  on  the  left  of  the  First  Corps  (offi> 
cial  report  says  Eleventh  Corps ;  this  I  think  is  a 
mistake),  prolonging  the  line  from  the  left  of  Cem 
etery  Hill  towards  Round  Top  until  connection 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 

with  the  Third  Corps  was  made.  The  divisions 
were  posted  from  left  to  right,  in  the  order  of  Cald- 
well,  Gibbon  and  Hays,  each  division  having  a 
brigade  in  reserve.  The  five  batteries  were  posted 
from  left  to  right  as  follows  :  Rorty's,  Brown's, 
Cushing's,  Arnold's  and  Woodruff's. 

The  morning  was  enlivened  by  some  very  sharp 
skirmishing  on  Hays's  front,  the  bone  of  contention 
being  a  barn  midway  between  the  lines,  captured 
and  recaptured  several  times  by  the  contending 
parties.  General  Hays  proceeded  to  force  matters 
so  vigorously  that  General  Hancock  ordered  the 
barn  to  be  fired,  to  prevent  a  general  engagement 
being  brought  on.  At  one  time,  General  Hays  be 
ing  dissatisfied  with  the  Garibaldi  Guards,  an 
nounced  his  intention  of  going  down  on  the  skir 
mish  line,  and  desired  only  one  orderly  to  accom 
pany  him.  A  little  Irishman  on  a  white  horse  was 
detailed  for  this  purpose,  and  on  reporting  to 
General  Hays,  the  General  asked  him  if  he  was  a 
brave  man  ?  He  was  answered  by  a  grin,  and  asked 
again,  "  Will  you  follow  me,  sir  ?"  "  Gineral"  said 
the  orderly,  touching  his  cap,  "if  ye's  killed  and 
go  to  hell,  it  will  not  be  long  before  I  am  tapping 
on  the  window."  With  his  flag  in  his  hand  Gen 
eral  Hays  rode  up  and  down  the  line,  leading  it 
forward,  and  the  little  Irishman  on  his  white 
horse  stuck  to  him  as  close  as  his  shadow. 


196          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

With  the  exception  of  skirmishing,  and  irregular 
artillery  firing,  the  day  passed  quietly  until  Gen 
eral  Sickles  moved  his  Corps  from  its  position  in 
the  general  line  of  battle  to  the  Emmettsburg  road. 
By  this  movement  he  lost  connection  on  both  flanks. 
The  flank  next  to  the  Second  Corps  was  distant 
several  hundred  yards,  and  General  Gibbon  placed 
Huston's  Eighty-Second  New  York  and  Ward's 
Fifteenth  Massachusetts  regiments,  with  Brown's 
Rhode  Island  battery,  into  the  interval,  the  troops 
so  placed  being  directly  in  front  of  Gibbon's  divi- 
sion  and  masking  its  fire.  The  position  of  the  bat 
tery,  in  particular,  was  faulty.  The  successful 
attack  of  the  enemy  on  Sickles's  line  led  to  an 
immediate  demand  for  reinforcements,  Caldwell's 
division  going  to  report  to  General  Sykes,  com 
manding  the  Fifth  Corps;  Willard's  brigade  to 
the  support  of  Birney's  division,  Third  Corps ; 
and  Devereux's  Nineteenth  Massachusetts  and 
Mellon's  Forty-second  New  York  to  the  sup^ 
port  of  Humphreys.  At  this  juncture  General 
Hancock  was  informed  by  General  Meade  that 
General  Sickles  was  disabled,  and  was  in 
structed  to  take  command  of  the  Third  Corps, 
in  addition  to  his  own.  Gibbon  again  succeed 
ed  to  the  immediate  command  of  the  Second 
Corps.  General  Hancock  led  in  person  the  brig 
ade  intended  for  General  Birney  towards  the  left 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 

of  his  line,  and  was  about  proceeding  with  it  to 
the  front,  when  he  met  General  Birney,  who  told 
him  that  the  troops  had  all  been  driven  to  the  rear, 
and  had  abandoned  the  position  to  which  General 
Hancock  was  moving".  General  Humphreys's  divi 
sion  was  still  in  position,  but  the  enemy,  pressing 
him  in  front  and  turning  his  left  flank  through 
the  interval  left  by  Birney's  division,  he  was  forced 
to  retire  to  the  original  line  of  battle,  being  placed 
by  General  Hancock,  on  the  line  just  vacated 
by  Caldwell.  In  regaining  the  line  he  suffered 
frightful  losses,  but  succeeded  in  preserving  the 
organization  of  his  command,  and  had  the  satis 
faction  of  forming  his  troops  on  the  line.  The 
Nineteenth  Massachusetts  and  Forty-second  New 
York  had  not  arrived  on  Humphreys's  line  when  he 
commenced  his  retreat;  but  observing  that  he  was 
rapidly  retiring,  the  regiments  formed  line  of  bat 
tle,  delivered  a  few  volleys,  and  retired  in  good 
order,  though  suffering  heavy  losses.  So  closely 
were  they  pressed  by  the  enemy  that  prisoners 
were  captured  by  the  retiring  regiments. 

Brown's  battery  and  the  regiments  of  Ward  and 
Huston  were  still  more  unfortunate.  Having  done 
good  service  in  protecting  General  Humphreys's 
right,  their  left  was  exposed  to  the  enemy's  attack, 
and  the  regiments  were  forced  back,  losing  both 
commanders  and  great  numbers  of  officers  and 


Ig8         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

men.  The  battery  was  served  most  gallantly,  but 
continued  its  fire  so  long  that  it  could  not  be  en 
tirely  withdrawn,  the  left  gun  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  Captain  Brown  was  shot 
through  the  neck,  a  dangerous  but  not  mortal 
wound. 

Willard's  brigade  was  placed  by  General  Han 
cock  on  the  line  at  the  point  through  which  Birney 
had  retired,  and  as  the  enemy  was  following 
sharply,  the  brigade  was  almost  immediately 
engaged.  Colonel  Willard  was  struck  in  the  face 
by  a  shell  and  killed,  and  the  brigade  met  with 
severe  losses.  At  this  time  reinforcements,  for 
which  General  Hancock  had  sent  to  General 
Meade,  began  to  arrive,  and  the  line  was  now 
strengthened  by  Doubleday's  division,  and  the 
remnant  of  Robinson's  division  of  Newton's  First 
Corps.  By  this  time  the  enemy  were  advancing 
along  nearly  the  entire  front  of  General  Hancock's 
command.  The  attack  from  the  direction  of  the 
brick  house  on  the  Emmettsburg  road  was 
promptly  checked  by  Gibbon,  and  the  lost  gun  of 
Brown's  battery  regained.  Colonel  Heath's 
Nineteenth  Maine  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  this 
operation. 

Two  regiments  of  Lockwood's  brigade  of  the 
Twelfth  Corps,  commanded  by  General  Lockwood, 
were  brought  up  by  General  Meade  in  person,  and 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 

advanced  against  the  enemy  on  the  left  of  the 
Second  Corps.  This  part  of  the  line  was  not  com 
plete,  and  the  frequent  intervals,  and  a  fringe  of 
undergrowth  in  front,  afforded  the  enemy  good 
opportunities  for  penetrating  the  lines.  While 
General  Hancock  was  riding  along  the  line,  he 
observed  a  rebel  regiment  about  penetrating  one 
of  these  intervals,  firing  as  it  advanced,  Captain 
Miller,  of  the  General's  staff,  being  wounded  by 
the  fire.  Turning  to  a  regiment  standing  near,  in 
column  of  fours,  General  Hancock  said  to  the 
colonel,  pointing  to  the  rebel  standard,  "  Do  you 
see  those  colors?"  "  Yes,  sir."  "Well,  capture 
them."  The  regiment  charged  as  it  was,  formed 
in  column  of  fours,  in  the  most  brilliant  style, 
capturing  the  colors  and  a  number  of  prisoners. 
While  General  Hancock  was  absent,  wounded,  he 
wrote  to  one  of  his  staff,  desiring  him  to  ascertain 
what  regiment  this  was,  as  he  desired  to  recom 
mend  the  Colonel  for  appointment  as  brigadier- 
general.  Knowing  that  several  Corps  were 
represented  at  or  near  the  spot,  a  circular  was 
sent  to  the  Corps  commanders  to  get  the  required 
information.  In  his  letter  General  Hancock 
described  the  man,  and  stated  that  he  rode  a 
black  Ahorse.  Strange  to  say,  several  claimants 
were  found  for  the  honor,  but  the  regiment  was, 
in  truth,  one  of  the  General's  own  command,  the 


2OO         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

heroic  First  Minnesota.  The  General  was  some 
what  reluctant  to  come  to  a  conclusion,  on 
account  of  the  number  and  pertinacity  of  the 
claimants,  but  several  months  after,  he  met  the 
Colonel  (Adams)  in  Harrisburg,  and  recognized 
him  at  once.  The  Colonel  had  been  several  times 
wounded,  and  had  been  in  hospital  at  Harrisburg 
ever  since  the  battle.  In  this  attack  and  subse 
quent  advance  upon  the  enemy  the  First  Minne 
sota  lost  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  its  numbers. 

One  of  the  Vermont  regiments  afterwards 
advanced  upon  the  right  of  the  First  Minnesota, 
and  recaptured  the  guns  of  one  of  the  reserved 
batteries.  The  Vermont  troops  behaved  with 
great  spirit  during  the  entire  battle. 

The  assistance  rendered  by  these  reinforcements 
enabled  General  Hancock  to  speedily  repulse  the 
enemy,  and  to  recapture  the  artillery  which  had 
been  left  on  the  field  in  the  Third  Corps  front. 

Colonel  Sherrill  succeeded  Colonel  Willard 
in  the  command  of  the  brigade  of  the  third  divi 
sion,  and  with  it  made  a  gallant  advance  on  the 
enemy's  batteries  to  the  right  of  the  brick  house. 
The  One  Hundred  and  Eleventh  New  York,  Colo 
nel  McDougall,  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  this 
advance.  The  brigade  lost  about  fifty  per  cent, 
of  its  numbers,  and  showed  by  its  splendid  con 
duct  that  its  capture  at  Harper's  Ferry  the  year 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  2OI 

before  was  not  due  to  any  lack  of  mettle  on  its 
part.  Colonel  Sherrill  was  killed  on  the  3d, 
and,  Colonel  McDougall  being  wounded,  left  the 
brigade  in  command  of  a  lieutenant-colonel. 

It  is  now  time  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  Cald- 
well's  division.  As  the  division  neared  General 
Sykes's  line  it  was  met  by  one  of  General  Sykes's 
staff  and  moved  forward,  part  of  the  time  at 
double  quick,  into  the  interval  between  the  Fifth 
and  Third  Corps,  with  orders  to  check  and  drive 
back  the  enemy.  The  first  brigade,  under  Cross, 
was  in  advance,  and  drove  the  enemy  in  splendid 
style  across  the  wheat-field  in  his  front.  The 
second  and  third  brigades  were  put  in,  in  succes 
sion,  to  extend  the  line  toward  the  Third  Corps, 
and  were  likewise  successful  in  driving  the 
enemy.  The  fourth  brigade  under  Brooke  (now 
lieutenant-colonel  Third  Infantry)  advanced  to 
relieve  Cross,  and,  fighting  with  his  usual  deter 
mination  and  energy,  pushed  his  line  far  to  the 
front,  as  far  as  any  troops  got  that  day,  and 
gained  a  position  impregnable  to  an  attack  from 
the  front  and  of  great  tactical  importance.  Hav 
ing  established  his  division  on  this  line,  where  he 
was  reinforced  by  Sweitzer's  brigade  of  the  Fifth 
Corps,  General  Caldwell  galloped  to  the  right  to 
establish  some  connection  with  the  Third  Corps, 
but  found  all  the  troops  there  broken  and  flying  in 


202          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

confusion.  Before  Caldwell  could  change  front 
the  enemy  followed  hard  after  the  fugitives,  and 
getting  in  upon  his  rear  and  right,  compelled  him 
to  fall  back  hastily  or  see  his  command  captured. 
Some  confusion,  of  course,  attended  this  sudden 
retreat,  but  the  command  was  re-formed  behind  a 
stone  wall  near  the  Taneytown  road,  where  it 
remained  until  relieved  by  part  of  the  Twelfth 
Corps.  On  returning  to  his  Corps,  Caldwell  was 
obliged  to  take  up  a  position  somewhat  to  the 
left,  to  cover  the  ground  abandoned  by  Sickles, 
and  the  interval  between  his  right  and  Gibbon's 
division  was  filled  by  other  troops  (First  Corps) 
sent  up  to  reinforce  the  line.  It  thus  happened 
that  Caldwell's  division  was  separated,  and  took 
no  active  part  in  the  attack  of  the  3d.  Had 
the  division  resumed  its  proper  place,  the  attack 
of  the  3d  would  have  been  met  entirely  by  the 
Second  Corps,  and  its  measure  of  glory  would 
have  been  still  greater,  if  possible. 

Shortly  after  the  division  retired  from  Sykes's 
front,  General  Sykes  informed  General  Hancock 
that  it  had  not  behaved  well.  He  doubtless  spoke 
in  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  its  flank  was  turned, 
as  afterwards  happened  to  Ayres,  but  he  did 
great  injustice  to  Caldwell  and  to  the  troops.  This 
was  the  division  which,  organized  under  Sumner, 
had  attested  its  valor  under  Richardson  at  Antie- 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.          2O^ 

*_/ 

tarn,  and  which,  under  Hancock,  had  made,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  most  determined  and  desperate 
assault  of  the  war  at  Fredericksburg.  When,  there 
fore,  General  Hancock  heard  this  charge,  he  re 
plied,  with  great  indignation,  that  if  the  division 
had  not  done  well  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the  troops. 
Subsequent  investigation  showed  that  General 
Caldwell  had  not  only  conducted  himself  with 
great  coolness  and  bravery,  but  that  he  had  han 
dled  his  troops  with  great  skill,  and  that  the 
reverse  reflected  no  dishonor  upon  either  the 
troops  or  their  commander.  Its  losses  were  great, 
over  1,200  out  of  a  little  more  than  3,000  engaged. 
Two  of  the  brigade  commanders,  General  Zook  and 
Colonel  Cross,  were  mortally  wounded,  and  a  third 
brigade  commander,  Brooke,  wounded,  but  kept 
the  field.  General  Zook  was  an  able  and  valuable 
officer,  Colonel  Cross  was  a  very  eccentric  char 
acter,  but  an  invauable  officer.  He  was  a  rigid 
disciplinarian,  and  used  to  say  his  regiment,  the 
Fifth  New  Hampshire,  dared  not  fall  back  without 
orders.  It  would  seem  as  if  some  one  had  neg 
lected  to  give  them  these  orders  at  Gettysburg,  for 
that  heroic  regiment,  numbering  about  150  mus 
kets,  had  over  one  hundred  casualties,  and  the 
killed  out-numbered  the  wounded.  If  Colonel 
Cross  ever  knew  fear,  no  one  ever  discovered  it. 
He  had  been  several  times  wounded,  and  was  prom- 


204  REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

inent  on  every  field  for  his  defiant  bearing.  At 
Chancellorsville,  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  when 
our  lines  were  about  to  be  withdrawn,  Colonel 
Cross  made  up  his  mind  that  "  the  affair  was  played 
out,"  and  seating  himself  on  the  ground  in  front  of 
his  regiment,  with  a  cracker-box  on  his  lap,  indited 
his  report  of  the  battle,  under  a  very  heavy  artillery 
fire.  He  had  led  an  adventurous  life  before  the 
war,  one  of  its  incidents  being  a  duel  with 
Sylvester  Murry,  in  Arizona. 

Besides  these  officers,  Colonel  Roberts,  One  hun 
dred  and  Fortieth  Pennsylvania,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Meriam,  Twenty-seventh  Connecticut 
Volunteers,  were  instantly  killed,  and  Colonel 
Morris,  Sixty-sixth  New  York,  wounded. 

Colonel  McKean,  of  the  Eighty-first  Pennsyl 
vania,  so  distinguished  at  Fredericksburg,  suc 
ceeded  to  the  command  of  Cross's  brigade,  and 
brought  it  off  the  field  in  perfect  order.  Colonel 
Brooke  was  recommended  for  promotion  for  his 
distinguished  services  here. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  the  actions  ceased 
along  the  Second  Corps  front,  and  it  was  soon  fol 
lowed  by  heavy  firing  on  General  Howard's  front. 
The  firing  seeming  to  come  nearer  and  nearer,  Gen 
eral  Hancock  directed  General  Gibbon  to  send 
Carroll's  brigade  of  Hays's  division  at  once  to  the 
scene  of  the  firing,  to  report  to  General  Howard. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.          205 

Hearing  firing  still  farther  to  the  right,  and  fearing 
that  the  troops  Slocum  had  sent  to  his  assistance 
had  left  him  with  insufficient  force,  General  Han 
cock  directed  General  Gibbon  to  send  two  regi 
ments  to  the  Twelfth  Corps.  These  regiments, 
by  some  mistake,  also  went  to  Howard. 

When  Carroll's  brigade  arrived  on  Howard's 
front  the  enemy  had  nearly  carried  the  position. 
The  artillerymen  in  Stewart's  and  Ricketts's  bat 
teries  ("  B,"  Fourth  United  States  Artillery  and  "I," 
First  Pennsylvania)  were  defending  themselves 
with  sponge-staffs  and  rammers,  or  whatever  they 
could  lay  hands  upon,  the  bugler  of  one  of  the 
batteries  having  his  brains  knocked  out  by  a 
trail  hand-spike  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  enemy. 
Carroll  formed  his  line  as  best  he  could  in  the 
darkness,  and  with  stentorian  tones  ordered  the 
charge,  and  swept  the  hill.  It  was  thought  after 
wards  that  the  services  rendered  by  Carroll's 
brigade  were  not  so  generously  acknowledged 
in  General  Howard's  report  as  they  should  have 
been,  and  several  letters  were  published  on  the 
subject  after  the  battle,  the  point  in  controversy 
being,  not  how  well  Carroll's  troops  did,  for 
as  to  this  there  was  no  question,  but  as  to  the 
piach  to  which  Howard  was  reduced  when  Carroll 
arrived.  General  Howard  himself  admitted  that 
affairs  were  critical  and  the  reinforcements  unex- 


2o6         REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

pected.  It  was  afterwards  claimed  that  the  brig 
ade  was  sent  in  pursuance  of  a  request  for  assist 
ance  from  General  Howard,  but  it  was  sent  by 
General  Hancock  solely  upon  his  own  motion 
and  responsibility.  The  brigade  was  retained  by 
Howard  during  the  remainder  of  the  battle,  as  was 
one  of  the  regiments  which  joined  his  line  by  mis 
take.  The  Eighth  Ohio,  of  Carroll's  brigade,  was 
not  with  it,  but  fought  on  Hays's  line  the  next 
day — a  kind  of  free-lance — capturing  two  colors 
and  quite  a  number  of  prisoners. 

General  Meade  stated  before  the  Committee  on 
the  Conduct  of  the  War,  that  of  the  24,000  casual 
ties  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Gettysburg, 
over  2,000  occurred  by  the  night  of  the  2d.  A 
council  of  war  was  held  during  the  evening,  which 
General  Hancock  attended,  as  commanding  the 
left  centre.  General  Gibbon  was  present,  as  the 
immediate  commander  of  the  Second  Corps.  The 
question  was  submitted  to  the  council,  whether 
there  should  be  any  change  in  the  position  of  the 
army.  On  this  question  the  vote  appears  to  have 
been  unanimous,  though  Generals  Meade  and 
Newton  expressed  the  opinion  that  Gettysburg 
was  not  the  place  to  fight  a  battle,  or  was  not  an 
advantageous  one.  The  council  having  adjourned, 
General  Hancock  laid  down  on  the  porch  at  army 
headquarters  to  snatch  a  little  sleep. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  207 

The  forenoon  of  the  3d  passed  in  comparative 
quiet,  so  far  as  Hancock's  troops  were  concerned, 
though  the  artillery  was  frequently  and  warmly 
engaged.  The  heavy  and  continuous  firing  in 
front  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  indicated  that  the  main 
efforts  of  the  enemy  were  on  that  front. 

From  1 1  A.  M.  to  i  P.  M.  the  silence  was  ominous, 
this  being  the  interval  of  time  in  which  the  enemy 
was  placing  his  artillery  and  forming  his  lines  for 
the  grand  attack  on  the  third  day.  When  the 
cannonade  opened,  about  i  o'clock,  General  Han 
cock  was  lunching  with  General  Gibbon  in  rear  of 
Gibbon's  division,  and  near  to  the  Brown  house. 
The  staff-officers  and  escort  made  a  considerable 
party.  General  Hancock  was  dictating  an  order 
to  one  of  his  staff  concerning  fresh  beef  for  the 
men,  when  the  first  shell  flew  into  the  group.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  finish  the  order  in  delibera 
tion,  but  the  shells  came  thicker  and  faster  ;  several 
of  the  horses  broke  loose  and  ran  wildly  about ; 
the  horses  of  the  ambulance  containing  the  lunch 
broke  away,  the  driver,  an  old  veteran  of  the  reg 
ular  service,  being  killed — altogether  creating  a 
scene  of  confusion  such  as  is  seldom  seen,  even  on 
the  field  of  battle.  Such  officers  as  could  secure 
their  horses  mounted  and  rode  to  the  front.  The 
enemy's  fire  was  very  badly  directed,  the  larger 
proportion  of  projectiles  going  over  the  line,  so 


2o8         REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

that  the  safest  positions  were  those  nearest  the 
enemy.  The  batteries  on  the  line  responded  gal 
lantly,  but  were  greatly  inferior  in  numbers  to 
those  brought  against  them ;  it  being  estimated 
that  the  enemy  brought  145  guns  against  eighty 
on  our  side.  General  Meade,  fearing  that  the 
supply  of  ammunition  would  be  exhausted,  sent 
an  order,  addressed  to  either  General  Hancock  or 
General  Hunt,  to  slacken  the  fire.  The  officer 
entrusted  with  the  message,  however,  made  no 
haste  to  deliver  it,  keeping  it  in  his  possession 
until  one  of  General  Hancock's  staff  passed  his 
point  of  observation.  General  Hancock  justly  in 
sisted,  however,  that  the  enemy  should  be  stoutly 
answered,  because  of  the  moral  effect  a  cessation 
of  fire  might  have  upon  the  infantry.  Nearly  all 
the  ammunition  except  the  canister  was  exploded. 
Brown's  battery,  which  had  suffered  severely  the 
day  before,  and  had  expended  all  its  canister  on 
that  occasion,  retired  from  the  line  before  the 
assault.  The  officers  having  lost  their  horses,  the 
battery  became  unmanageable,  and  when  once 
turned  from  the  field,  stopped  not  upon  the  order 
of  its  going.  The  batteries  suffered  more  from  the 
cannonade  than  the  infantry ;  several  caissons 
were  blown  up — four  in  Thomas's  battery  of  the 
Fourth  Artillery  alone. 

After  the  firing  had  continued  for  an  hour  and 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS. 


203 


three-quarters  it  slackened  greatly,  and  the  ene 
my's  infantry  emerged  from  the  fringe  of  woods 
beyond  the  Emmetsburg  road.  The  attacking 
force  numbered  from  15,000  to  17,000  men,  led  by 
Pickett's  division  in  double  line  of  battle,  the 
brigades  of  Kemper  and  Ganult  in  front,  and 
Armistead's  brigade  supporting.  On  his  right 
was  Wilcox's  brigade,  formed  in  column  of  battal 
ions,  and  on  his  left  Heth's  division,  now  com 
manded  by  General  Pettigrew.  The  enemy's  front 
covered  just  about  the  space  occupied  by  the  two 
small  divisions  of  the  Second  Corps,  Gibbon's  and 
Hays's.  As  soon  as  the  enemy's  skirmishers  made 
their  appearance,  General  Hancock  rode  along  the 
line  to  encourage  the  men  and  see  that  everything 
was  in  a  state  of  preparation.  It  was  quite  re 
markable  that  the  General's  favorite  horse,  one  he 
had  ridden  in  many  battles,  became  so  terrified 
by  the  roar  of  artillery  that  he  seemed  utterly 
powerless,  and  could  not  be  moved  by  the  severest 
spurring.  The  General  was,  therefore,  obliged  to 
borrow  a  horse  from  one  of  his  staff — Captain 
Brownson.  This  was  the  horse,  a  very  tall,  light 
bay  with  a  white  nose,  the  General  was  riding 
when  he  was  wounded.  Captain  Brownson  was 
wounded  in  the  Wilderness  in  the  next  year  riding 
the  same  horse.  The  General's  size  and  manner 
made  him  very  conspicuous.  He  was  accustomed 


2  I O         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINPIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

to  wear  his  sword-belt  under  his  coat,  and  the  coat 
unbuttoned,  except  at  the  top,  so  as  to  expose  his 
shirt-front. 

On  arriving  at  the  right  of  the  line  General  Han 
cock  found  that  the  troops  he  had  posted  across 
the  Taneytown  road  on  Cemetery  Hill  had  been 
removed,  and,  fearing  an  attack  in  that  direction, 
rode  to  General  Meade's  headquarters  to  ask  that 
troops  from  some  other  command  might  be  sent 
there.  Finding  General  Meade's  headquarters 
deserted  he  returned  to  the  line.  As  he  rode 
down  the  line  he  spoke  to  several  of  the  regimental 
commanders,  and  was  cheered  by  the  troops  as  he 
passed.  The  enemy's  attack  was  now  in  full 
vigor  ;  our  men  evinced  a  striking  disposition  to 
withhold  their  fire  for  close  quarters,  and  the 
enemy's  advance  was  for  some  time  opposed  only 
by  an  irregular  artillery  fire.  Hays  had  several 
regiments  posted  well  to  the  front  behind  stone 
walls,  and  on  his  right  was  Woodruff's  power 
ful  battery  of  light  twelves.  Whether  the  fire 
was  more  close  and  deadly  here,  or  whether, 
as  some  claim,  the  troops  in  Pettigrew's  command 
were  not  as  well  seasoned  to  war  as  Pickett's  men, 
it  is  certain  the  attack  on  Hays  was  very  speedily 
repulsed.  That  it  was  pressed  with  resolution  was 
attested  by  the  dead  and  wounded,  which  were  as 
numerous  in  Hays's  front  as  on  any  other  part  of  the 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  2  I  I 

field.  Colonel  J.  A.  Smythe — whom  we  shall  meet 
again — one  of  Hays's  brigade  commanders,  was 
painfully  wounded  in  the  face,  but  did  not  leave 
the  field. 

The  execution  done  by  the  battery  was  immense. 
The  enemy  closed  in  toward  the  centre  to  escape 
its  fire,  seeing  which  young  Woodruff  ordered  a 
section  to  advance  to  secure  an  enfilade  fire.  While 
pointing  to  the  proposed  position,  he  was  shot  in 
the  side  and  fell  from  his  horse.  This  mortal 
wound  did  not,  however,  prevent  him  from  urging 
the  execution  of  his  order.  Fearing  lest  it  might 
happen  that  our  lines  would  be  shifted  so  as  to 
leave  him  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  Woodruff 
gave  his  watch  and  money — most  of  it  company 
funds — to  some  officer  of  an  infantry  regiment 
near  him.  The  miscreant  proved  unfaithful  to  his 
trust. 

On  the  left  of  the  line,  fire  was  first  opened 
upon  the  enemy  from  Stannard's  Vermont 
brigade,  which  was  placed  at  some  distance  in 
front  of,  and  obliquely  to,  the  main  line.  Either 
to  escape  this  fire,  or  for  some  other  reason,  the 
enemy's  right  closed  in  to  the  centre  also,  so  that 
the  centre  was  urged  forward  against  Webb's 
brigade  by  the  pressure  from  both  wings.  Two 
regiments  of  this  brigade,  the  Sixty-ninth  and 
Seventy-first  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  were  posted 


2  I  2          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

behind  a  low  stone  wall  and  breastwork  of  rails 
hastily  constructed  on  the  slope  towards  the  enemy. 
The  rest  of  the  brigade  was  behind  the  crest  some 
sixty  paces  in  rear,  so  posted  as  to  enable  them  to 
fire  over  the  heads  of  the  two  regiments  in  front. 
When  the  enemy's  line  had  nearly  reached  the 
stone  wall,  the  greater  part  of  the  advanced  regi 
ments  abandoned  their  cover,  but  were  rallied  on 
the  line  in  rear  by  General  Webb  and  his  officers. 
It  was  thought,  at  the  time,  that  this  movement 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  three  regiments  were 
isolated  from  the  rest  of  their  brigade,  and  were 
posted  on  the  down-hill  slope.  Whatever  the 
reason,  the  partial  retreat  emboldened  the  enemy 
to  push  their  advantage,  numbers  of  them  cross 
ing  the  breastworks,  led  by  General  Armistead. 
Cushing's  battery,  which  was  in  advance  of 
Webb's  general  line,  seemed  likely  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  The  brave  Gushing  was 
instantly  killed  near  his  guns.  A  ball  had  entered 
his  open  mouth  and  lodged  deep  in  the  neck, 
leaving  no  trace  of  its  entrance,  nor  any  mark  of 
wound  except  the  discoloration  of  the  back  of  his 
neck  some  time  after  death.  It  was  about  the 
time  that  Webb  first  received  this  attack  that 
Gibbon  was  wounded. 

General    Hancock    passing  along  at  this  time, 
Colonel    Devereux,  commanding  the  Nineteenth 


NARRATIVE  OF  7'HE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  2  I  1 

\j 

Massachusetts  Volunteers,  begged  to  be  permitted 
to  move  his  regiment  to  the  point  of  danger. 
Colonel  Mellen,  of  the  Forty-second  New  York, 
carried  his  regiment  to  the  same  spot.  Hall's 
brigade  was  also  moved  by  the  right  flank,  the 
enemy  having  been  repulsed  in  his  front,  and  was 
followed  by  Harnn's  brigade.  These  movements 
necessarily  led  to  much  confusion,  particularly  as 
the  men  frequently  left  the  ranks,  while  marching 
by  the  flank,  to  fire  at  the  enemy.  Regimental 
organizations  were  in  some  measure  lost,  but  the 
officers  were  there  to  hold  their  men  to  the  work 
until  victory  was  assured.  Young  Hascall,  one  of 
General  Gibbon's  aides,  spurred  his  horse  through 
the  ranks,  and  waved  the  men  on  with  his  sword. 
Webb,  Hall,  Mellen,  Devereux  and  others  carried 
the  colors  forward,  and,  fighting  almost  breast  to 
breast,  stopped  the  enemy's  advance  and  turned 
it  into  a  surrender.  General  Hunt,  Chief  of  Artil 
lery,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  joined  in  this  melee, 
firing  all  the  shots  from  his  revolver,  and  having 
his  horse  shot  under  him. 

General  Hancock  himself,  observing  the  fortu 
nate  position  of  Stannard's  brigade  on  the  enemy's 
flank,  had  ridden  down  there  to  see  what  could 
be  done  with  them.  Before  reaching  these  troops 
he  met  a  small  detachment,  which  he  supposed  to 
be  a  decimated  battalion  of  the  Second  Corps. 


214         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINPIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

As  it  contained  but  fifteen  or  twenty  files,  General 
Hancock  thought  it  too  small  to  effect  any  good, 
and  ordered  it  to  fall  back  to  Stannard's  line, 
intending  to  advance  them  all  together. 

From  thence  General  Hancock  passed  down 
the  front  of  Stannard's  line — then  lying  down— 
and  behind  it  to  the  right,  where  he  met  General 
Stannard,  and  directed  him  to  send  two  regiments 
to  attack  the  enemy's  right.  Turning  away 
toward  the  clump  of  bushes  in  Webb's  front,  he 
was  shot  from  his  horse.  All  the  General's  staff 
were  on  other  parts  of  the  field,  and  he  had  with 
him  at  the  time  only  his  tried  and  faithful  color- 
bearer,  Wells,  of  the  Sixth  New  York  Cavalry. 
He  received  immediate  assistance  from  some  of 
General  Stannard's  staff. 

While  General  Hancock  was  on  his  back,  Major 
Mitchell  rode  to  Stannard's  brigade  and  reiterated 
the  order  in  the  General's  name,  not  knowing  that 
he  was  present  or  wounded.  The  officer  addressed 
demurred  attacking  without  his  colonel's  order, 
and  it  was  then  that  Mitchell  found  that  the 
General  was  wounded.  Major  Bingham,  of  the 
General's  staff,  who  had  himself  been  wounded  in 
the  head,  but  not  seriously,  came  up  soon  after. 
He  had  received  from  the  dying  Armistead  his 
watch,  spurs  and  some  other  articles,  to  be  trans 
mitted  to  his  relatives,  and  with  them  the  mes- 


NARRA  TIVE  OF  THE  S&COXD  ARMY  CORPS.  2  I  5 

sage,  "  Tell  General  Hancock  that  I  have  done 
him  and  my  country  a  great  injustice,  which  I 
shall  never  cease  to  regret."  Armistead  and 
Hancock  had  belonged  to  the  same  regiment  be 
fore  the  war. 

The  medical  director,  surgeon  Dougherty,  was 
brought  to  the  spot  in  about  fifteen  minutes,  and 
took  from  the  General's  wound  several  pieces  of 
wood,  and  a  wrought-iron  ten-penny  nail  bent 
double,  which  had  entered  the  leg  near  the  groin. 
Meanwhile  Major  Mitchell  procured  an  ambulance, 
and  the  General  was  driven  from  the  field. 
While  his  wound  was  being  dressed  he  sent 
Major  Mitchell  to  report  to  General  Meade  that 
he  was  wounded,  that  the  troops  under  his  com 
mand  had  repulsed  the  enemy's  assault,  that  we 
had  gained  a  great  victory  and  that  the  enemy 
was  flying  in  all  directions  in  his  front.  The 
message  was  delivered  to  General  Meade  as  he 
was  riding  to  the  crest  of  Cemetery  Hill,  and  he 
replied,  "  Say  to  General  Hancock  that  I  regret 
exceedingly  that  he  is  wounded,  and  that  I  thank 
him,  for  the  country  and  for  myself,  for  the  serv 
ice  he  has  rendered  to-day." 

As  soon  as  the  ambulance  containing  the  Gen 
eral  reached  a  place  somewhat  sheltered  from  the 
enemy's  fire  it  was  halted,  and  a  despatch,  in 
pencil,  written  to  General  Meade,  by  surgeon 


2  1 6          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Dougherty,  at  the  General's  dictation.  No  copy 
was  kept,  but  the  purport  of  it  was  given  after 
ward  by  the  writer  as  follows  :  "  We  have  won  a 
victory,  and  nothing  is  wanted  to  make  it  decisive 
but  that  you  should  carry  out  your  intention.*  I 
have  been  severely,  but,  I  trust,  not  seriously, 
wounded.  I  did  not  leave  the  field  so  long  as 
there  was  a  rebel  to  be  seen  upright." 

The  officer  who  bore  the  despatch,  and  heard 
the  dictation,  thinks  that  the  despatch  urged  that 
the  Sixth  Corps  should  be  thrown  in,  to  follow  up 
the  retreating  enemy.  The  despatch  was  handed 
to  General  Meade  on  the  Taneytown  road  in  rear 
of  the  Second  division.  He  replied,  "Tell  the 
General  I  do  not  understand  what  this  artillery 
firing  means,"  referring  to  the  brisk  cannonade 
kept  up  by  the  enemy  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the 
assaulting  columns 

Thus  ended  General  Hancock's  connection  with 
the  memorable  battle  of  Gettysburg.  He  was 
taken  first  to  the  field  hospital,  thence  that  night 
to  Westminster,  arriving  in  Baltimore  the  follow 
ing  morning,  and  in  Philadelphia  at  noon.  It  was 
at  first  supposed  that  his  wound  was  made  by  a 

*  This  had  reference  to  a  previous  conversation  between  Gen 
erals  Meade  and  Hancock,  in  which  General  Meade  had  expressed 
his  intention  of  putting  in  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps  if  Hancock 
was  attacked.  See  "  Report  Committee  on  Conduct  of  the  War," 
Vol.  i. — 1865  page  408. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  2  I  7 

bursting  shell,  in  which  nails  had  been  used  for 
filling.  On  the  following-  day  a  bullet  hole  was 
discovered  through  the  pommel  of  the  saddle  he 
had  ridden,  and  it  was  then  suspected  that  a  ball 
had  passed  through  it,  carrying  with  it  the  nail 
and  pieces  of  wood.  This  turned  out  to  be  the 
case,  for  the  wound,  not  healing  kindly,  was  probed 
thoroughly  six  weeks  afterwards  and  the  ball  ex 
tracted  by  the  painful  operation  of  cutting  through 
the  half  cicatrized  wound  to  the  bone.  The  bone 
was  injured,  and  to  this  fact  is  due  the  subsequent 
trouble  the  General  has  had  with  the  wound. 

The  Second  Army  Corps  had  between  10,000 
and  11,000  muskets  in  this  action.  The  total  cas 
ualties  were  4,413 — nearly  forty-four  per  cent,  of 
all  engaged.  The  missing  numbered  only  350 
enlisted  men,  most  of  whom  were  captured  on  the 
2d  of  July  in  Caldwell's  division.  The  first  divi 
sion  lost  1,248,  the  second  1,627,  and  the  third  1,382. 

The  artillery  brigade,  consisting  of  only  five 
batteries,  lost  150  men  and  250  horses.  Three  of 
the  battery  commanders  were  killed,  and  one 
wounded.  Of  the  killed,  we  have  mentioned 
Woodruff  and  Gushing ;  the  third,  Rorty,  com 
manding  battery  "B,"  First  New  York,  was  shot 
through  the  head  while  assisting  to  replace  a  dis 
abled  wheel.  Lieutenant  Miller,  of  Arnold's 
battery,  "A,"  First  Rhode  Island,  was  mortally 


2  1 8          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

wounded.  Lieutenant  Canby,  of  Cushing's  bat 
tery,  was  also  wounded.  One  of  the  non-commis 
sioned  officers  of  Cushing's  battery,  having  been 
shot  in  the  stomach  by  a  piece  of  shell,  cut  short 
his  misery  by  deliberately  blowing  out  his  own 
brains  with  his  pistol. 

Besides  those  already  mentioned  as  killed 
among  the  field  officers,  were  Colonel  Dennis 
O'Kane,  Sixty-ninth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers ; 
Colonel  Max  A.  Themans,  Fifty-ninth  New  York  ; 
Colonel  Richard  P.  Roberts,  One  Hundred  and 
Fortieth  Pennsylvania  ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Steel, 
Seventh  Michigan  Volunteers  ;  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Tschudy,  Sixty-ninth  Pennsylvania  ;  Colonel  Ser- 
rell,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  New  York. 

The  prisoners  captured  numbered  4  500  (exclu 
sive  of  those  secured  by  Caldwell's  division  on  the 
2d),  of  whom  about  half  fell  to  each  of  the  divisions 
engaged.  Gibbon's  division  secured  and  turned 
in  twelve  stands  of  colors,  and  Hays's  division  fif 
teen  more.  The  whole  number  of  colors  captured 
by  the  Corps  was  thirty-three,  but  several  of  them 
were  secreted,  and  disposed  of  as  personal  trophies. 

The  battle  of  Gettysburg  has  given  rise  to  a 
great  many  controversies,  but  we  feel  called  upon 
to  deal  only  with  those  affecting  immediately  the 
subject  of  this  history.  Whether  Howard's  troops 
gave  way  on  the  ist,  as  Doubleday  testifies  before 


XARRA  TIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS, 


2I9 


the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  or 
Doubleday's  troops  broke,  as  affirmed  by  Howard 
in  the  despatch  we  have  quoted  ;  whether  General 
Meade  directed  his  chief-of-staff  to  draw  up  an 
order  for  the  retreat  of  the  army  from  Gettysburg, 
or  whether  General  Butterfield  drew  up  the  order 
on  his  own  responsibility,  or  whether  none  was 
drawn  up  at  all ;  whether  General  Sickles  made  a 
great  blunder  in  moving  out  of  the  general  line  of 
battle  and  taking  up  a  position  far  in  advance,  with 
his  flanks  practically  in  air,  or  whether  he,  by  a 
masterly  stroke,  prevented  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  from  making  an  inglorious  retreat — are  ques 
tions  that  do  not  concern  General  Hancock.  That 
he  did  his  duty  as  a  soldier,  entirely  and  completely, 
no  one  has  ever  questioned.  From  the  time  he  re 
established  the  trembling  lines  on  Cemetery  Hill, 
on  the  evening  of  the  ist,  until  "  not  a  rebel  was 
standing  upright "  in  his  front,  and  he  was  carried 
dangerously  wounded  from  the  field  after  the  re 
pulse  of  the  enemy,  on  the  evening  of  the  3d,  he 
was  the  strong  right  arm  of  the  Army  of  the  Po 
tomac.  We  have  endeavored  to  show  how  great 
a  responsibility  was  thrown  upon  him  on  the  ist 
day,  and  think  we  have  shown  that  the  decision 
of  General  Meade  to  concentrate  at  Gettysburg 
was  based  upon  the  reports  made  by  General  Han 
cock.  We  think  it  very  unfortunate  that  his 


22O         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

wound  did  not  permit  him  to  remain  and  urge 
operations  of  greater  vigor  against  the  enemy, 
after  the  disastrous  repulse  of  Longstreet  and  in 
the  subsequent  retreat.* 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  Gettysburg,  it  is 
proper  to  notice  a  controversy  which  has  arisen 
since  the  battle,  with  reference  to  the  part  taken 
by  Stannard's  troops.  In  a  monograph  by  Lieu 
tenant  Benedict,  entitled  "  Gettysburg,  and  the 
Part  Taken  Therein  by  Vermont  Troops,"  it  is 
stated  that  the  flank  attack  was  ordered  by  General 
Stannard  before  General  Hancock  arrived.  It  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  if  so  good  an  officer  as  General 
Stannard  should  have  come  to  the  same  conclusion 
as  did  General  Hancock  and  Major  Mitchell  in 
succession,  as  to  what  was  demanded  of  his  troops 
under  the  circumstances.  We  are  permitted  to 
extract  the  following  from  a  memorandum  made 
by  General  Hancock  on  the  subject  several  years 
since  : 

"  I  had  seen  the  importance  of  it  myself,  and  probably  Gen 
eral  Stannard  had  also,  and  may  have  given  similar  directions. 
It  is  quite  probable,  for  General  Stannard  was  a  cool  and  reliable 
officer,  in  whom  I  had  great  confidence  from  earlier  associations 
Yet  with  the  exception  of  the  small  detachment  of  troops  already 
firing  on  the  enemy's  flank,  before  referred  to  [Referred  to  in  the 
preceding  narrative  as  a  decimated  battalion.],  no  flank  attack 
was  made  until  that  directed  by  me." 

*  Mr.  Junkin  will  see  that  General  Warren  expressed  the  same 
sentiment  in  one  of  his  letters  to  General  Hancock. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS.  221 

Again  General  Hancock  writes : 

"  While  I  was  on  my  back  I  recollect  of  ordering  General 
Stannard  to  attack  the  enemy  in  flank  ;  a  regiment  marched  past 
me  by  the  flank  to  do  so.  I  ordered  another  regiment.  Lieu 
tenant  Mitchell, not  knowing  that  I  was  wounded, came  there  about 
the  time  I  was  shot,  and  also  gave  an  order  in  my  name  for  the 
attack  of  the  enemy's  flank,  he  seeing  that  the  troops  were  well 
placed  for  that  purpose." 

In  Rothermel's  great  historical  picture  illustrat 
ing  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  painted  for  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  the  artist  has  depicted  Lieuten 
ant  Hascall,  of  General  Gibbon's  staff,  announcing 
to  General  Meade  the  discomfiture  of  the  enemy. 
This  is  a  perversion  of  historical  truth  in  one  re 
spect,  and  an  injustice  to  General  Hancock's  senior 
aide,  Major  Mitchell,  who  carried  to  General 
Meade  General  Hancock's  announcement  of  the 
victory,  the  instant  General  Hancock,  raising  him 
self  on  his  hands,  saw  the  enemy's  line  break.  It 
is  true  that  the  incident  of  which  the  artist  has 
taken  advantage  occurred  at  a  later  period,  when 
General  Meade  rode  on  to  the  line,  but  there  is  a 
manifest  impropriety  in  making  General  Meade 
receive  the  intelligence  of  the  rout  of  the  enemy 
from  the  staff-officer  of  a  subordinate  commander 
to  General  Hancock.  Lieutenant  Hascall  was  a 
brilliant  young  officer,  but  he  surpassed  Major 
Mitchell  neither  in  conspicuous  gallantry  nor  in 
the  most  intelligent  and  faithful  discharge  of 


222          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

duty.  Justice  might  have  equally  been  done,  by 
giving  to  Lieutenant  Hascall  the  place  he  really 
had,  which  was  between  the  lines,  urging  our  men 
to  follow,  and  leaving  to  Major  Mitchell  the  deliv 
ery  of  General  Hancock's  message. 
A  true  copy. 

(Signed)  EUGENE  GRIFFIN, 

\st  Lieutenant  of  Engineers,  A.  D.  C. 


"  GENERAL:  When  I  arrived  here  an  hour  since,  I  found  that 
our  troops  had  given  up  the  front  of  Gettysburg  and  the  town. 
We  have  now  taken  up  a  position  in  the  Cemetery,  and  cannot 
well  be  taken;  it  is  a  position,  however,  easily  turned.  Slocum  is 
now  coming  on  the  ground,  and  is  taking  position  on  the  right, 
which  will  protect  the  right.  But  we  have  as  yet  no  troops  on  the 
left,  the  Third  Corps  not  having  reported,  but  I  suppose  that  it  is 
marching  up.  If  so,  his  flank  march  will  in  a  degree  protect  our 
left  flank.  In  the  mean  time  Gibbon  had  better  march  on,  so 
as  to  take  position  on  our  right  or  left,  to  our  rear,  as  may  be 
necessary,  in  some  commanding  position.  General  G.  will  see 
this  despatch.  The  battle  is  quiet  now.  I  think  we  will  be  all 
right  until  night.  I  have  sent  all  the  trains  back.  When  night 
comes  it  can  be  told  better  what  had  best  be  done.  I  think 
we  can  retire;  if  not,  we  can  fight  here,  as  the  ground  appears  not 
unfavorable  with  good  troops.  I  will  communicate  in  a  few  mo 
ments  with  General  Slocum,  and  transfer  the  command  to  him. 

"  Howard  says  that  Doubleday's  command  gave  way. 
"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 
'•'•Major-General  Commanding  Corps. 

"General  Warren  is  here. 

"  GENERAL  BUTTERFIELD,  Chief  of  Staff."' 


APPENDIX  B. 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  FIFTH  MILITARY  DISTRICT, 

"New  Orleans,  La.,  November  29,  1867. 
"  GENERAL  ORDER,  No.  40. 

"I.  In  accordance  with  General  Orders  No.  81,  Head 
quarters  of  the  Army,  Adjutant-General's  Office,  Washington, 
D.  C.,  August  27,  1867,  Major-General  W.  S.  Hancock  hereby 
assumes  command  of  the  Fifth  Military  District,  and  of  the 
Department  composed  of  the  States  of  Louisiana  and  Texas. 

"II.  The  General  Commanding  is  gratified  to  learn  that 
peace  and  quiet  reign  in  this  Department.  It  will  be  his  purpose 
to  preserve  this  condition  of  things.  As  a  means  to  this  great 
end,  he  requires  the  maintenance  of  the  civil  authorities,  and  the 
faithful  execution  of  the  laws,  as  the  most  efficient  under  existing 
circumstances.  In  war  it  is  indispensable  to  repel  force  by  force, 
to  overthrow  and  destroy  opposition  to  lawful  authority,  but 
when  insurrectionary  force  has  been  overthrown  and  peace 
established,  and  the  civil  authorities  are  ready  and  willing  to  per 
form  their  duties,  the  military  power  should  cease  to  lead,  and 
the  civil  administration  resume  its  natural  and  rightful  domin 
ion.  Solemnly  impressed  with  these  views,  the  General  announces 
that  the  great  principles  of  American  liberty  are  still  the  inherit 
ance  of  this  people,  and  ever  should  be.  The  right  of  trial  by 
jury,  the  habeas  corpus,  the  liberty  of  the  press,  the  freedom  of 
speech,  the  natural  rights  of  person,  and  the  rights  of  property 
must  be  preserved.  Free  institutions,  while  they  are  essential 
to  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  people,  always  furnish  the 
strongest  inducements  to  peace  and  order.  Crimes  and  offenses 
committed  in  this  district  must  be  left  to  the  consideration  and 
judgment  of  the  regular  civil  tribunals,  and  those  tribunals  will 

223 


224         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

be  supported  in  their  lawful  jurisdiction.  Should  there  be 
violation  of  existing  laws  which  are  not  inquired  into  by  the  civil 
magistrates,  or  should  failure  in  the  administration  of  justice  be 
complained  of,  the  cases  will  be  reported  to  these  Headquarters, 
when  such  orders  will  be  made  as  may  be  deemed  necessary. 
While  the  General  thus  indicates  his  purpose  to  respect  the 
liberties  of  the  people,  he  wishes  all  to  understand  that  armed 
insurrection  or  forcible  resistance  to  the  law  will  be  instantly  sup 
pressed  by  arms." 

On  the  1 8th  of  December,  1867,  the  following 
message  was  sent  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States  to  both  Houses  of  Congress  : 

"  GENTLEMEN  OF  THE  SENATE  AND   OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRE 
SENTATIVES  : 

"  An  official  copy  of  the  order  issued  by  Major-General  Win- 
field  S.  Hancock,  commander  of  the  Fifth  Military  District,  dated 
headquarters  in  New  Orleans,  La.,  on  the  2pth  day  of  Novem 
ber,  has  reached  me  through  the  regular  channels  of  the  War 
Department,  and  I  herewith  communicate  it  to  Congress  for  such 
action  as  may  seem  to  be  proper  in  view  of  all  the  circumstances. 

"It  will  be  perceived  that  General  Hancock  announces  that 
he  will  make  the  law  the  rule  of  his  conduct ;  that  he  will 
uphold  the  courts  and  other  civil  authorities  in  the  performance 
of  their  proper  duties,  and  that  he  will  use  his  military  power  only 
to  preserve  the  peace  and  enforce  the  law.  He  declares  very 
explicitly  that  the  sacred  right  of  the  trial  by  jury  and  the  privi 
lege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  crushed  out  or 
trodden  under  foot.  He  goes  further, .  and,  in  one  comprehen 
sive  sentence,  asserts  that  the  principles  of  American  liberty  are 
still  the  inheritance  of  this  people,  and  ever  should  be. 

''When  a  great  soldier,  with  unrestricted  power  in  his  hands 
to  oppress  his  fellow-men,  voluntarily  foregoes  the  chance  of 
gratifying  his  selfish  ambition,  and  devotes  himself  to  the  duty 
of  building  up  the  liberties  and  strengthening  the  laws  of  his 
country,  he  presents  an  example  of  the  highest  public  virtue  that 


PRESIDENT'S  MESSAGE  TO  CONGRESS.  225 

human  nature  is  capable  of  practicing.  The  strongest  claim  oi 
Washington  to  be  '  first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen,'  is  founded  on  the  great  fact  that  in 
all  his  illustrious  career  he  scrupulously  abstained  from  violating 
the  legal  and  constitutional  rights  of  his  fellow-citizens.  When 
he  surrendered  his  commission  to  Congress,  the  President  of  that 
body  spoke  his  highest  praise  in  saying  that  he  had  *  always 
regarded  the  rights  of  the  civil  authorities  through  all  dangers 
and  disasters.'  Whenever  power  above  the  law  courted  his 
acceptance,  he  calmly  put  the  temptation  aside.  By  such  mag 
nanimous  acts  of  forbearance  he  won  the  universal  admiration  of 
mankind,  and  left  a  name  which  has  no  rival  in  the  history  of  the 
world. 

"  I  am  far  from  saying  that  General  Hancock  is  the  only 
officer  in  the  American  army  who  is  influenced  by  the  example 
of  Washington.  Doubtless,  thousands  of  them  are  faithfully 
devoted  to  the  principles  for  which  the  men  of  the  Revolution 
laid  down  their  lives.  But  the  distinguished  honor  belongs  to 
him  of  being  the  first  officer  in  high  command,  south  of  the 
Potomac,  since  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  who  has  given  utter 
ance  to  these  noble  sentiments  in  the  form  of  a  military  order. 

"  I  respectfully  suggest  to  Congress  that  some  public  recogni 
tion  of  General  Hancock's  patriotic  conduct  is  due,  if  not  to 
him,  to  the  friends  of  law  and  justice  throughout  the  country. 
Of  such  an  act  as  his,  at  such  a  time,  it  is  but  fit  that  the 
dignity  should  be  vindicated  and  the  virtue  proclaimed,  so  that 
its  value  as  an  example  may  not  be  lost  to  the  nation. 

"ANDREW  JOHNSON. 

"  Washington,  D.  C.,  December  18,   1867." 

"WASHINGTON,  November  30,   1867. 
"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  : 

"This  moment  I  read  your  admirable  order.  I  am  much 
engaged,  but  I  cannot  resist  the  temptation  to  steal  time 
enough  from  my  clients  to  tell  you  how  grateful  you  have 
made  me  by  your  patriotic  and  noble  words.  Yours  is  the 
most  distinct  and  most  emphatic  recognition  which  the  prin 
ciples  of  American  liberty  have  received  at  the  hands  of  any 


226         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

high  officer  in  a  Southern  command.  It  has  the  very  ring 
of  the  Revolutionary  mettle.  Washington  never  said  a  thing 
in  better  taste  or  at  a  better  time.  It  will  prove  to  all  men 
*  that  peace  hath  her  victories,  not  less  renowned  than  those  of 
war.'  I  congratulate  you,  not  because  it  will  make  you  the 
most  popular  man  in  America,  for  I  dare  say  you  care  noth 
ing  about  that,  but  it  will  give  you  through  all  time  the  solid 
reputation  of  a  true  patriot  and  a  sincere  lover  of  your  country, 
its  laws,  and  its  government  ;  this,  added  to  your  brilliant 
achievements  as  a  soldier,  will  leave  you  without  a  rival  in  the 
affections  of  all  whose  good-will  is  worth  having,  and  give  you 
a  place  in  history  which  your  children  will  be  proud  of. 
This  acknowledgment  from  me  does  not  amount  to  much, 
but  I  am  expressing  only  the  feelings  of  millions,  and  expressing 
them  feebly  at  that. 

"  With  profound  respect,  I  am,  yours,  etc., 

"J,  S.  BLACK." 


APPENDIX     C. 

SOON  after  the  completion  of  this  work  I  was 
grieved  at  the  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Rev.  W. 
G.  Eliot,  Chancellor  of  Washington  University,  and 
for  nearly  forty  years  the  beloved  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Messiah,  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 
It  is  not  my  intention  to  speak  of  the  character 
and  ability  of  a  man  who  has  done  so  much  to 
elevate  and  adorn  the  city  of  his  adoption.  I 
simply  wish,  by  reference  to  his  remarkable  con 
nection  with  the  first,  second,  third  and  fourth 
generations  of  our  family,  to  testify  that  loving 
hearts  do  not  always  grow  cold  to  the  deserving 
few  in  the  records  of  an  era  long  since  dead.  My 
father  was  among  the  first  (fifty  years  ago)  to  sig 
nify  his  readiness  to  follow  the  leadership  of  the 
then  youthful  Doctor,  and  never  ceased  in  his 
fealty  to  the  sacred  obligation  of  duty. 

In  early  childhood  this  young  missionary  was 
called  upon  to  administer  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism 
to  myself  and  brother.  From  this  time  on,  to  the 
conclusion  of  my  girlhood,  he  was  my  spiritual 
guide  and  teacher.  Finally,  as  stated  at  the  be- 


228         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINF1ELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

ginning  of  this  book,  he  performed  the  ceremony 
which  united  my  life  with  that  of  the  subject  of 
the  foregoing  memoir.  Two  children  were  born 
to  us,  Russell  and  Ada,  and  gladly  did  we  avail  our 
selves  of  the  opportunity  to  have  them  christened 
by  this  good  man.  Subsequently  he  christened 
our  three  grandchildren,  Ada,  Gwynn  and  Myra, 
and  at  the  same  time  performed  the  rite  of  bap 
tism  to  General  Hancock,  who  had,  according 
to  his  belief,  neglected  this  obligation  too  long. 
His  mother  and  father,  being  members  of  the 
Baptist  faith,  considered  other  than  "  immersion  " 
not  consistent  with  the  established  forms  of  their 
Church.  Two  years  ago  Doctor  Eliot  was  called 
upon  to  perform  the  last  sad  rites  over  the  remains 
of  our  beloved  son.  To-day  we  mourn,  with  pro 
found  sorrow,  the  death  of  this  great  and  good 
man,  who  consecrated  his  life  to  good  works  and 
his  services  to  his  fellow-man. 

The  grave  has  taken  up  his  body,  as  God  has 
taken  his  spirit,  but  his  name  lives  evermore. 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES  CONTRIBUTED 


IN    MEMORY    OF 


WINFIELD   SCOTT    HANCOCK. 


MAJ.-GEN.  WILLIAM  FARRAR  SMITH. 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Institution  : 
T  T  would  not  come  within  the  limits  of  my  abili 
ties  or  your  wishes  to  attempt  a  formal  eulogy 
on  the  character  and  services  of  Winfield  Scott 
Hancock,  and  I  will  detain  you  but  a  few  mo 
ments  to  speak  of  some  of  the  prominent  qualities 
of  our  friend  and  companion  in-arms,  as  unfolded 
to  me  during-  an  acquaintance  of  more  than  forty 
years,  and  to  relate  some  few  incidents  in  his 
career  in  the  early  part  of  the  war,  which  came 
within  my  personal  knowledge,  and  which  all 
pointed  to  the  magnificent  record  he  made  for 
himself  as  a  leader  of  men.  Together  three  years 
at  West  Point,  in  after  periods  we  were  joined  in 
close  official  connection,  and,  I  believe,  without 
ever  a  word  to  mar  our  perfect  official  and  personal 
relations. 

The  strikingly  handsome  boy,  whom  I  first  knew 
at  West  Point,  was  popular  for  his  genial  disposi 
tion  and  pleasant  manners,  though  behind  these 


231 


232          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

there  was  an  inflexible  will  which  kept  him  always 
firm  in  his  purpose  to  do  only  that  which  seemed 
to  him  good. 

After  he  left  West  Point,  we  did  not  meet  until 
the  autumn  of  1861,  when  we  came  together  in 
the  same  division  in  front  of  Washington.  The 
winter  was  given  up  by  General  Hancock  to  inde 
fatigable  labors  of  drilling  and  disciplining  his 
brigade,  which  through  the  war  bore  the  impress 
of  his  teaching.  The  treatment  of  his  volunteer 
officers  was  at  first  a  surprise  and  mystery  to  them. 
On  duty  he  never  overlooked  a  fault,  and  his 
reproofs  were  prompt  and  .sharp.  Off  duty  his 
bearing  was  courteous  and  unconstrained.  When 
his  subordinates  learned  to  understand  the  two 
natures  thus  shown,  they  respected  and  loved  him, 
and  imitated  his  example.  It  was  a  good  school 
for  the  citizen  volunteer. 

In  the  movement  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
up  the  Peninsula,  our  division  had  the  advance  of 
the  left  wing,  and  arrived  in  front  of  Warwick 
Mills,  in  a  large  open  field,  with  the  creek  in  our 
front  made  impassable  by  dams,  and  a  strong 
field-work  covering  the  crossing  in  its  front. 

The  day  after  our  arrival,  Hancock  was  sent 
with  his  brigade  up  the  creek  on  a  reconnoissance, 
with  orders  to  search  for  a  place  to  break  the  line, 
and  if  he  found  a  point,  to  send  back  word  and 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  2  *  * 

o  o 

the  other  brigades  would  go  to  his  support.  At 
Lee's  Mills  he  found  the  place,  and  his  men, 
though  unused  to  battle,  moved  with  precision, 
and  with  their  rifles  commanded  the  earthwork 
below  them,  and  the  broad  dam  which  gave  access 
to  it.  A  general  order  prevented  the  intended 
movement,  and  General  Hancock  returned  to  his 
camp,  but  with  a  certainty  that  his  labors  during 
the  winter  had  given  him  a  brigade  upon  which 
he  could  rely  in  the  hour  of  battle.  The  test  soon 
came,  for  on  the  morning  of  the  battle  of  Williams- 
burg,  while  the  mass  of  our  troops  was  engaged  in 
desperate  and  futile  efforts  to  carry  Fort  Magruder, 
Hancock  with  his  brigade,  increased  by  one  regi 
ment,  was  sent  to  the  right  to  turn  the  work. 

The  order  of  the  general  in  command  of  the 
field,  and  the  only  one  which  could  be  obtained 
from  him,  was  that  Hancock  should  go  to  the  first 
dam,  and  if  the  earthwork  protecting  it  was  found 
unoccupied  he  was  to  seize  it  and  remain  there. 
Under  the  order  of  the  division  commander  he 
was  told  to  go  as  far  as  he  could,  and  if  he 
found  a  good  point  of  attack  he  was  to  hold  his 
ground  and  the  other  brigades  of  the  division 
would  go  to  him.  Hancock  passed  over  the  dam 
by  the  unoccupied  work  near  it,  and  on  over  the 
open  country,  taking  two  more  unoccupied  strong 
redoubts.  This  brought  him  where  his  guns  could 


234          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

reach  Fort  Magruder,  and  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  broad  road  which  was  the  enemy's  line  of 
retreat  from  the  fort. 

General  Hancock  at  once  sent  back  for  the 
promised  assistance,  which  was  not  allowed  to  go 
to  him.  The  enemy,  seeing  the  threatening  posi 
tion  held  by  Hancock,  and  the  small  force  under 
him,  sent  a  column  against  him  deemed  sufficient  to 
crush  him.  Hancock's  dispositions  to  receive  the 
attack  were  admirable  ;  he  had  confidence  in  his 
men  and  they  in  him,  and  after  a  severe  fight  the 
enemy  were  driven  back  in  confusion,  many 
pi  isoners  captured,  and  the  road  to  the  rear  of  the 
enemy  cleared  for  our  advance. 

The  fight  of  Hancock's  brigade  was  the  only 
affair  on  that  day  to  redeem  our  arms  and  general 
ship  from  a  crushing  defeat.  General  Heintzel- 
man  told  General  McClellan,  in  my  presence  on 
the  following  morning  (after  the  enemy  had 
retired),  that  his  command,  which  had  been  fight 
ing  in  front  of  Fort  Magruder,  was  so  dispirited 
that  he  had  ordered  the  bands  to  play  patriotic  airs 
during  the  evening.  The  patriotic  airs  of  Han 
cock's  muskets  had  settled  the  question  and  forced 
the  evacuation  of  Fort  Magruder. 

The  next  fight  in  which  Hancock  was  engaged 
was  on  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  battle  of 
Gaines's  Mill.  At  that  time  he  held  the  right  of 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  2  ^ 

3  0 

the  left  wing"  of  the  army,  with  his  right  on  the 
Chickahominy,  the  division  covering*  the  bridges 
connecting  the  wings.  Hancock's  pickets  were  but 
a  short  distance  in  front  of  his  line,  and  the  pickets 
of  the  enemy  not  a  stone's  throw  from  them,  and 
yet  so  well  did  he,  and  that  other  splendid  soldier, 
Brooks,  watch  their  line,  that  they  were  not  sur 
prised  by  a  sudden  and  furious  assault,  and  soon 
scored  a  victory.  I  think  that  was  the  only  assault 
made  that  day  on  the  left  wing,  and  had  it  been 
successful  there  probably  could  have  been  no 
change  of  base  to  the  James  River. 

At  Antietam,  after  the  thorough  defeat  of  the 
extreme  right  of  our  army,  Hancock,  with  his 
brigade,  was  suddenly  called  upon  to  check  the 
enemy,  who  were  advancing  on  lines  of  unsup 
ported  batteries,  which  had  even  no  ammunition 
for  their  own  defense.  He  had  just  arrived  on 
the  field,  with  his  brigade  close  in  mass,  and  the 
change  of  front,  deployment  and  advance  of  the 
brigade  was  like  a  transformation  scene.  The  line 
thus  taken  was  held  till  after  Lee's  retreat  across 
the  Potomac.  That  day,  during  the  fighting, 
Hancock  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  a 
division,  and  we  were  no  longer  side  by  side. 

Of  his  peculiar  qualities  on  the  field  of  battle,  I 
can  say  that  his  personal  bearing  and  appearance 
gave  confidence  and  enthusiasm  to  his  men,  and 


2^6         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

\J 

perhaps  no  soldier  during  the  war  contributed  so 
much  of  personal  effect  in  action  as  did  General 
Hancock.  In  the  friendly  circle  his  eye  was  warm 
and  genial,  but  in  the  hour  of  battle  it  became  in 
tensely  cold,  and  had  immense  power  on  those 
around  him.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  to  those  who 
hear  me,  that  the  opening  of  a  battle  operates  with 
very  different  results  on  different  organizations.  In 
General  Hancock  I  should  say  that  the  nervous, 
the  moral,  and  the  mental  systems  were  all  har 
moniously  stimulated,  and  that  he  was  therefore  at 
his  very  best  on  the  field  of  battle.  Of  such  or 
ganizations  are  all  men  who  have  wTon  decisive 
victories  in  action.  Notwithstanding  all  his  fame 
as  a  soldier,  I  think  history  will  accord  not  the 
least  bright  page  to  his  administration  in  Louisiana 
and  Texas.  At  a  time  when  military  men  thirsted 
for  power,  when  one  part  of  our  country  was 
demoralized  by  poverty  and  defeat,  and  when 
even  the  people  of  the  North  were  getting  accus 
tomed  to  the  despotism  of  long-continued  military 
authority,  General  Hancock  clearly  proclaimed  the 
fundamental  principle  of  the  subordination  of  the 
military  power,  which  is  always  abnormal  to  the 
civil,  which  alone  has  the  true  interests  of  mankind 
in  its  keeping. 

The    political    campaign    of    1880   brought    me 
again  in   close  contact  with  General  Hancock.     I 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  237 

doubt  if  it  can  be  said  of  many  candidates  for  the 
Presidency,  within  the  last  half  century,  what  I 
believe  myself  safe  in  saying  of  him — that  to  the 
close  of  the  campaign  no  man  was  ever  promised 
a  place  or  office  by  him.  I  think  his  firm  deter 
mination  to  hold  to  a  principle  affected  the  result. 
The  campaign  had  for  him  one  brilliant  result, 
for  the  efforts  of  his  political  opponents  established 
his  character  and  actions  as  so  high  and  unim 
peachable  as  thenceforth  to  leave  them  unques 
tioned.  One  incident  of  the  campaign  is  worthy 
of  relation,  putting  as  it  does  two  men  in  a  fine 
light.  A  warm  political  and  personal  friend  of 
General  Hancock  visited  him  a  few  days  after  the 
nomination  was  made,  and  said  :  "  General,  I  am 
rich,  with  far  more  money  than  I  or  my  children 
can  ever  need.  I  know  your  situation,  arid  the 
calls  that  will  be  made  upon  your  purse  in  the 
exercise  of  a  proper  hospitality,  and  I  have  with 
me  ten  one  thousand  dollar  notes,  which  I  beg  you 
to  accept  from  me  in  the  spirit  in  which  they  are 
offered.  Your  acceptance  will  make  me  happy,  for 
it  will  show  me  that  you  think  of  me  as  I  do  of 
you."  General  Hancock  put  a  hand  on  the  shoul 
der  of  his  friend,  and  with  evidences  of  deep  feeling 
in  his  face,  said  :  "  There  is  no  man  in  this  world 
from  whom  I  would  accept  money  sooner  than 
from  you.  I  thank  you  for  the  delicate  way  in 


o;g          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINfilELD  S.  HANCOCK. 
«j 

which  your  friendship  has  been  shown,  but  I  can 
not  take  the  money."  This  friend  came  directly 
from  that  interview  to  me,  and,  in  telling  me  the 
story,  was  as  deeply  moved  as  the  General  had 
been. 

I  have  taken  advantage  of  the  kind  offer  of  the 
Council,  conscious  of  my  inability,  but  impelled  by 
a  strong  desire  to  utter  some  words  of  praise  from 
a  full  heart, 

The  peaceful  ending  of  a  life  filled  with  such 
stirring  events  was  befitting  his  kindly  nature. 

The  testimony  of  the  thousands  who  lined  the 
path  of  his  last  march  through  the  drenching 
storm  proved  the  deep  place  he  had  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people,  and  "  when  the  gates  of  the  tomb 
closed,  and  the  bugle  gave  out  its  mournful  call, 
then  only  did  we  realize  that  our  friend  and  hero 
was  at  rest  and  his  light  was  out" 


THE  HONORABLE  THOMAS  F.  BAYARD, 

SECRETARY    OF    STATE. 

T  REGRET  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  be  at 
Governor's  Island  next  Thursday  evening  to 
hear  the  paper  read  by  General  W.  F.  Smith,  upon 
the  life  and  services  of  General  Winfield  Scott 
Hancock. 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  239 

The  writer  and  his  subject  are  well  met,  and  the 
result  cannot  fail  to  be  valuable  to  the  truth  of 
American  military  history,  and  will  assist  to  assign 
his  just  place  therein  to  the  Patriot  Soldier  from 
whose  newly  made  grave  we  have  but  just 
returned. 

The  circular  sent  me  suggests  a  few  words  in 
response,  and,  whilst  fully  conscious  of  my  unfit- 
ness  to  give  judgment  upon  the  professional 
ability  of  General  Hancock,  there  are  phases  in 
his  character  and  career  to  wThich  with  affectionate 
admiration  I  venture  to  refer,  and  in  the  same 
spirit  as  I  would  place  upon  his  bier  a  branch  of 
laurel  or  of  oak  in  token  of  his  military  valor  or 
his  civic  worth. 

In  an  age  of  mercenary  forces  and  luxurious 
tendencies,  he  was  wholly  disdainful  of  the  attrac 
tions  of  wealth  or  the  arts  that  gain  or  keep  it. 
High  above  the  seductions  of  gainful  pursuits  he 
held  aloft  the  standard  of  his  profession,  nor  ever 
suffered  it  to  be  lowered  in  the  public  eye. 

Whilst  his  shield  bore  many  a  mark  of  blows 
received  in  conflict,  he  laid  it  down  in  death  as 
free  from  stain,  as  unsullied  by  mean  imputation, 
or  even  suspicion,  as  when  he  first  uplifted  it  in 
life's  morning  march. 

In  a  juncture  of  great  difficulty  and  public 
danger,  when  our  political  institutions  seemed  to 


240         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

be  environed  by  doubts  and  obscurities  that  dark 
ened  every  avenue  of  deliverance,  remote  and  sol 
itary,  with  no  other  aid  than  his  own  intellect  and 
patriotic  instincts,  he  wrote  a  letter  from  his  farm 
in  Missouri  to  the  General  of  the  Army,  reviewing 
the  political  situation  that  followed  the  Presiden 
tial  election  of  1876,  and  the  attitude  of  the  two 
political  parties  of  the  country.  Circumstances 
permitted  me  to  be  well  aware  of  the  con 
dition  of  the  country,  and  my  official  duties 
rendered  it  essential  I  should  closely  study 
them.  Many  and  various  were  the  expressions  of 
opinion  and  the  counsels  suggested  by  the  officials, 
high  and  low,  and  in  every  branch  of  the  Service, 
but  I  take  leave  here  to  say  that  no  wiser,  abler 
or  more  patriotic  deliverance,  no  sounder  concep 
tion  of  constitutional  duty  and  function,  or  solution 
based  more  solidly  upon  law  and  justice,  can  be 
found  in  the  history  of  that  period  than  is  con 
tained  in  the  letter  of  General  Hancock  to  which 
I  have  referred. 

It  would  be  a  fitting  stone  to  be  thrown  upon 
the  cairn  you  propose  to  raise  to  his  memory,  for 
he  was  indeed  a  soldier,  and,  like  Washington, 
never  forgot  he  was  also  a  citizen. 

<(  How  well  in  him  appears 
The  constant  service  of  the  antique  world, 
When  service  sweat  for  duty,  not  for  meed." 


LETTERS  AXD  ADDRESSES.  24 1 

THE  HON.  WILLIAM  C.  ENDICOTT, 

SECRETARY    OF    WAR. 

T  REGRET  very  much  that  I  am  unable  to 
leave  Washington  and  take  part  in  your 
Meeting  on  the  evening  of  the  25th.  It  would 
have  given  me  much  satisfaction  to  do  so,  and  to 
bear  my  testimony  to  the  worth  of  General  Han 
cock,  and  to  the  appreciation  in  which  he  is  held  by 
all  his  countrymen.  Did  my  time  allow,  I  would 
gladly  have  sent  you  a  tribute  to  his  memory  in 
writing.  But  anything  worthy  of  such  a  subject 
it  is  beyond  my  power  to  send.  He  was  a  many- 
sided  man,  and  you  only  deal  with  one  aspect  of 
his  character  and  his  services  when  you  notice  his 
gallantry  and  heroism  in  the  field.  For  this,  per 
haps,  he  has  been  most  conspicuous  ;  but  I  have 
seen  enough  of  him  to  learn  that  he  was  an  able, 
large-minded  man,  whom  the  experiences  of  life 
had  made  wise  and  judicious,  and  to  whom  they 
had  given  a  wide  knowledge  of  men  and  of 
affairs.  To  be  deprived  of  his  services  in  the 
prime  of  his  powers  is  a  misfortune  to  his  country, 
and  I  join  with  you  most  heartily  in  your  sorrow 
for  his  loss,  in  your  respect  for  his  memory,  and 
in  gratitude  for  all  that  he  did  in  the  public  service. 


242          REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

GENERAL  WILLIAM  T.  SHERMAN, 

UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

I    GOT  back   home  yesterday  pretty  well  used 
_ 
up,  and  was  reminded  by  Dr.  Alexander  that 

I  was  not  as  young  as  I  was  twenty  years  ago. 
The  second  finger  of  my  right  hand  was  sore 
when  I  left  home,  and  was  not  improved  by  the 
rough  hand-shaking  at  Cincinnati  and  Norristown. 
If  I  were  in  New  York,  I  surely  should  attend  the 
Meeting  of  the  Military  Service  Institution  at 
Governor's  Island  on  the  25th  _inst.,  but  that  is 
now  impossible,  nor  can  I  write  as  I  should, 
because  of  a  lame  hand  which  forbids  the  pen  and 
compels  me  to  resort  to  the  pencil. 

During  the  period  of  my  command  of  the 
Army,  1869-1884,  I  had  many  opportunities  to 
visit  Governor's  Island,  and  to  witness  the  personal 
interest,  pride,  and  satisfaction  General  Hancock 
had  in  your  Institution,  and  in  every  measure  cal 
culated  to  heighten  the  tone  of  the  military  pro 
fession,  and  to  encourage  the  younger  officers  to 
prepare  for  whatever  dangers  might  beset  our 
country  in  the  future.  No  matter  what  his  opin 
ions — and  they  were  always  strong — he  was 
knightly  loyal  to  his  superior  officers.  I  sometimes 
joked  him  about  attending  to  little  details  which 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


243 


could   have   been    devolved   on    his   staff,   but  he 
insisted  on  seeing-  to  everything  himself. 

I  think  I  must  possess  over  a  hundred  letters  of 
his.  He,  too,  had  his  "  controversies"-—  the  one 
when  his  orders  were  reversed  at  New  Orleans, 
which  resulted  in  a  breach  with  President  Grant. 
I  succeeded  in  reconciling  them,  but  afterward, 
when  he  was  the  Presidential  candidate,  the  news 
papers  reported  General  Grant  in  the  most  exag 
gerated  form,  and  renewed  the  breach,  which  was 
never  healed.  I  wish  you  and  the  members  of 
the  Military  Service  Institution,  of  which  General 
Hancock  was  President,  to  construe  me  as  his 
friend,  and  that  so  long  as  I  live  I  will  be  only  too 
happy  to  bear  testimony  to  his  generous  and  mag 
nificent  qualities  as  a  soldier,  gentleman  and 
patriot. 


LIEUT.-GEN.  PHILIP  H.  SHERIDAN, 

COMMANDING    THE    ARMY. 

T    AM  in  receipt   of  your  letter  inviting  me  to 
attend  the  Memorial  Meeting  of  the   Council 
of  the  Military  Service  Institution,   at  Governor's 
Island,  February  25. 

I    regret    exceedingly   that,   on  account    of  the 


244         REMINISCENCES  OF  W1NFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

serious  illness  of  Mrs.  Sheridan,  I  will  be  unable 
to  attend. 

I  have  always  had  the  highest  appreciation  of 
the  soldierly  abilities  of  General  Hancock,  and 
join  with  the  whole  Nation  in  admiration  of  his 
manly  bearing",  and  integrity  in  the  performance 
of  all  his  duties,  and  of  his  fine  social  qualities. 

This  forced  absence  from  so  interesting  an  occa 
sion  will  always  be  a  matter  of  regret  to  me. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  WILLIAM  B.  FRANKLIN. 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

T  FIRST  met  General  Hancock  in  1840,  when  he 
entered  the  Military  Academy.  Both  of  us 
Pennsylvanians,  we  naturally  became  intimate. 
He  was  then  a  small  boy,  scarcely  of  the  regulation 
height,  very  handsome,  and  at  once  became  a  pet. 
No  one  ever  outgrew  that  boyish  condition  sooner 
than  did  he,  and  when  I  graduated  in  1843  ne  was 
as  manly  a  fellow  as  the  Academy  ever  produced. 
I  saw  little  of  him  from  1843  until  the  late  war,  as  we 
were  on  different  lines  in  Mexico,  and  little  of  him 
then,  until  the  Sixth  Corps  was  formed  in  May,  1862, 
when  he  came  under  my  command  as  a  brigade 


LETTERS  AXD  ADDRESSES. 


245 


commander  in  the  splendid  division  of  that  corps 
commanded  by  General  W.  F.  Smith,  whose  grand 
address  you  have  just  heard.  So  long  as  he  was 
attached  to  the  Sixth  Corps  I  saw  him  frequently  ; 
of  course,  I  knew  him  well,  and  as  I  knew  him 
longer  I  admired  him  more.  I  never  met  a  man 
who,  as  a  general  officer,  while  under  my  obser 
vation,  combined,  so  well  as  did  he,  the  prudence 
which  cherished  the  lives  of  his  command  with  the 
dash  which  was  his  distinguishing  characteristic. 
While  I  was  associated  with  him  he  was  never  for 
ward  to  court  danger,  although  always  with  his  men; 
but  when  an  order  was  given  that  involved  a  fight, 
the  precise  thing  that  was  ordered  was  done,  his 
brigade  without  exception  behaving  admirably. 
All  of  us  know  that  in  those  early  days  of  the  war, 
the  character  of  the  commander  was  responsible 
for  the  behavior  of  his  men  more  than  it  was  in  the 
later  days,  when  the  men  had  become  such  good 
soldiers  that  they  fought  with  an  assurance  of 
victory,  whether  that  assurance  were  borne  out  or 
not,  anywhere,  and  under  all  leaders.  Such  men 
as  Hancock  at  the  commencement  of  a  struggle 
like  that  of  the  late  war  were  worth  hundreds  of 
ordinary  commanders.  To  be  under  his  command, 
to  know  him,  parodying  an  old  expression,  was  to 
have  a  complete  military  education.  His  very  ap 
pearance  was  inspiring — in  action  he  was  Mars 


246          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

himself — and  his  behavior  forced  all  who  saw  him 
to  be  as  one  with  him. 

He  left  my  corps  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  to 
command  the  division  of  General  Richardson,  who 
was  killed  in  that  battle.  I  am  not  sure  that  the 
void  thus  left  in  the  Sixth  Corps  was  ever  filled. 

From  that  time  my  intercourse  with  him  was 
unofficial  and  social,  and  we  became  more  and 
more  attached  friends  until  he  died. 

I  used  frequently  to  meet  him  in  front  of  Fred- 
ericksburg  in  the  winter  of  1862.  I  heard  of  his 
magnificent  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
with  the  fame  of  which  the  whole  country  rang, 
and,  still  further  on,  I  knew  of  his  soldierly 
behavior  in  command  of  the  Second  Corps,  in  the 
winter  of  1864,  in  front  of  Petersburg. 

So,  throughout  the  whole  war,  wherever  he  went 
he  did  his  whole  duty,  and  when  he  fought,  all  the 
energy  and  dash  of  the  man  came  out  in  a  manner 
that  attracted  the  admiration  of  all  men  at  the 
time,  and  attracts  it  now,  all  over  the  world,  wher 
ever  the  story  is  told. 

Then,  too,  when  the  war  was  ended  and  he  was, 
as  it  were,  made  the  civil  autocrat  of  sovereign 
States  just  devastated  by  the  war,  his  conduct 
toward  the  beaten  people,  his  conciliatory  manner, 
his  able  civil  papers,  by  which  he  made  a  reputa 
tion  as  a  civilian  equal  to  that  which  he  already 


LE  TTERS  A  ND  ADDRESSES.  247 

had  as  a  soldier,  all  showed  that  here  was  a  man 
equal  to  any  emergency. 

The  result  was  that  for  a  long  time  he  was 
considered  the  representative  of  that  portion  of 
our  people  who  thought  as  he  did — in  other  words, 
of  the  great  Democratic  party.  He  was  nomi 
nated  by  it  for  the  Presidency  in  1880,  and  I 
sincerely  believe  that  he  would  have  been  elected 
except  for  a  certain  lukewarmness,  and  perhaps 
treason,  in  his  own  party. 

His  defeat  was  fortunate  for  him.  Had  he  been 
elected  his  reputation  would  be  no  greater  than 
it  is.  The  short  remnant  of  his  days,  embittered 
by  domestic  affliction,  would  have  been  sad  in 
deed,  if  the  heart-burnings  and  enmities  of  four 
years  of  a  presidential  term  had  been  added  to 
what  he  already  had  to  bear. 

In  attempting  to  analyze  his  character  as  it 
was  developed  by  events,  I  have  concluded  that 
the  secret  of  his  success  was,  that  he,  above  all 
the  professional  soldiers  of  the  war,  from  the  time 
that  he  commanded  a  brigade  until  the  war  was 
ended,  when  he  commanded  a  corps,  realized  the 
fact  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  the  professional 
soldier  had  his  opportunity,  and  that  such  an  op 
portunity,  if  improved,  would  bring  distinction  ; 
that  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  keep  an  eye 
single  to  the  acquirement  of  military  experience 


248         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

from  what  he  saw  going-  on  around  him — to  make 
no  effort  to  unduly  push  himself  forward — not  to  be 
jealous  or  discontented  if  less  worthy  men  were 
preferred  before  him — to  be  diverted  by  no  side  is 
sue,  but  to  await  events — in  short,  to  press  forward 
toward  the  mark  of  his  high  calling.  He  felt  assured 
that  the  day  would  come,  as  it  did  come,  when  his 
dearly  bought  experience  would  serve  him,  and 
when  his  merit  would  be  acknowledged.  His  action 
just  before  and  during  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  was 
the  looked-for  opportunity,  and  I  think  that  he 
was  distinctly  the  hero  of  that  battle. 

And  so  he  won  one  of  the  prizes  of  the  war. 

As  a  soldier  he  was  without  reproach,  as  a  civil 
ian  far  ahead  of  the  reconstruction  statesmen  who 
had  the  government  in  hand  after  the  end  of  the 
Civil  War,  and,  as  a  man,  a  loyal  and  constant 
and  generous  triend.  I  shall  never  cease  to  regret 
his  untimely  end. 

His  name  will  go  down  in  history  as  one  of  the 
noble  products  of  the  Civil  War,  and  of  the  Army 
of  the  United  States. 

As  a  corroboration  of  Hancock's  theory  that  the 
Civil  War  was  the  professional  soldier's  opportu 
nity,  I  state  the  fact  that,  since  1864,  three  profes 
sional  soldiers  have  been  nominated  by  one  or  the 
other  of  the  great  political  parties  as  candidates 
for  the  Presidency,  and,  since  1861,  five  have  been 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  249 

raised  to  the  position  of  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  Army. 

Halleck,  Thomas,  Meade,  McDowell,  Grant,  Mc- 
Clellan  and  Hancock — all  dead.  All  men  who 
occupied  the  most  prominent  positions  in  the  Civil 
War.  All  dead  before  they  had  reached  the  three 
score  and  ten  years  alloted  to  men.  All  dead  just 
as  they  were  beginning  to  enjoy  their  well-earned 
rest.  Their  comparatively  early  deaths  demon 
strate  what  has  already  been  noticed,  that  military 
distinction  is  not  generally  accompanied  by  long 
life.  Great  soldiers  burn  the  candle  at  both  ends. 

But  I  am  sure  that  there  is  not  a  man  who  hears 
me,  who  would  not  be  willing  to  select  some  one 
among  those  I  have  named,  and  die  at  his  age, 
were  he  able  to  take  his  fame  and  name  to  the 
grave  with  him. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  DANIEL  E.  SICKLES. 

UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

T  COME  before  you,  as  is  my  custom,  without 
any  written  address,  and  I  feel  all  the  more 
embarrassed  because  so  much  has  been  said,  and 
well  said,  that  there  is  but  little  I  can  add  to  the 
memory  of  our  illustrious  friend. 


250         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

That  country,  sir,  must  indeed  be  rich  in  great 
characters  that  can  lose  unmoved,  within  a  single 
year,  a  group  of  men  like  Grant,  McClellan,  Hend- 
ricks,  Hancock  and  Seymour. 

I  know  how  tempting  it  is,  in  speaking  of  a  great 
soldier,  to  dwell  upon  brilliant  military  traits,  but 
I  must  confess  that  I  have  been  most  touched  to 
night  by  reminiscences  and  portraitures  of  those 
elements  in  Hancock  which  made  up  the  charm- 
that  charm  that  radiated  from  the  man  in  all  the 
relations  of  life. 

Hancock  was  singularly  and  fortunately  happy 
in  the  enjoyment  of  so  large  a  measure  of  appreci 
ation  during  his  life.  It  was  not  left  for  him  to 
forecast  in  the  unknown  future  the  reputation  that 
this  country  might  award  to  his  memory  and 
achievements.  There  was  something  so  clear,  so 
admirable,  in  his  making  up  that  the  whole 
country  knew  him  at  a  glance  and  loved  him  and 
honored  him. 

When  a  candidate  for  the  Chief  Magistracy,  he 
stood  unchallenged  the  scrutiny  of  ten  million  of 
voters,  and  although  he  left  the  field  an  unsuccess 
ful  aspirant,  how  many  are  there  who  if  they  had 
gone  through  the  same  ordeal  would  have  enjoyed, 
in  retirement,  the  respect  and  esteem  given  to 
Hancock  ?  He  was  greater  in  defeat  than  many  a 
rival  would  be  in  success  and  power. 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  25  I 

The  touching  incident  mentioned  by  General 
Smith  in  his  admirable  address,  reveals  to  you  the 
character  of  the  man.  All  the  features  of  his 
nomination  and  canvass  recall  the  earlier  and  better 
days  of  the  Republic.  From  beginning  to  end  his 
bearing  was  that  of  a  knight  and  a  patriot  and  an 
American  citizen. 

But  this  line  of  remark  is  too  tempting,  and  I 
must  remember  the  five-minutes'  rule.  It  would 
not  be  proper  for  me  to  resume  my  seat,  having 
known  Hancock  as  a  soldier,  without  saying  at 
least  a  word  in  remembrance  of  that  picturesque 
figure  on  the  battle-field.  There  was  something 
about  him  that  impressed  the  imagination  of  the 
soldiers,  and  won  for  him  a  place  in  their  regard 
that  it  was  always  a  pleasure  to  witness  and  to 
share.  And  that  other  trait  of  unswerving  loyalty 
to  his  chief  and  to  the  cause  to  which  he  was 
devoted.  No  commander  ever  doubted  for  a 
single  instant  the  absolute  loyalty  of  Hancock,  and 
no  soldier  ever  received  from  him  a  command  that 
he  was  not  eager  and  proud  to  obey. 

I  saw  him  in  his  last  act  of  public  duty,  when  he 
led  the  funeral  column  that  escorted  the  remains 
of  Grant  to  the  tomb.  In  all  that  distinguished 
array  of  men  on  both  sides  of  the  great  Civil  War, 
none  more  than  Hancock  impersonated  the  best 
elements  of  manhood ;  none  more  than  he  em- 


252         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

bodied  the  traits  jof  Soldier  and  Citizen,  and  none 
better  illustrated  the  tenderer  traits  of  our  human 
ity  that  endear  the  relations  of  husband,  father 
and  friend. 

I  am  glad  to  see  that  he  is  to  have  a  statue.  I 
am  glad  that  a  Senator  from  Massachusetts  is  the 
one  to  make  this  proposition  to  Congress.  Let 
that  statue  be  decreed  ;  let  it  stand  in  the  Capitol. 
Its  fame  will  outlive  the  dome  that  covers  it, 
because  his  renown  is  associated  with  events  in 
the  annals  of  the  American  Republic  which  history 
will  make  imperishable. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  DON  CARLOS  BUELL. 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    VOLUNTEERS. 

T  T  ANCOCK'S  death  was  indeed  a  sad  event. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  unexpected 
when  I  opened  the  despatch  on  the  evening  of  the 
nth,  dated  the  loth.  I  pity  his  poor  wife,  for 
there  could  have  been  no  more  congenial  and 
happy  couple.  I  introduced  him  to  her,  and  was 
his  groomsman.  Hancock  was,  you  know,  at 
West  Point  a  year  before  I  left.  He  entered  at 
sixteen  and  looked  even  younger — a  fair-haired, 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


253 


handsome  boy,  well  -  bred,  good  -  tempered,  and 
manly.  He  was  one  of  the  few  "  Plebes  "  who 
are  at  once  taken  into  good  -  fellowship  by  the 
older  class,  and  he  was  a  special  favorite  with 
my  most  intimate  friends.  I  did  not  see  him  much 
in  the  Army  until  we  came  together  at  St.  Louis 
in  1850,  he  the  adjutant  of  his  regiment,  with  its 
colonel,  General  Clark,  who  at  the  same  time 
commanded  the  department  of  which  I  was  the 
adjutant  -  general.  Nine  years  had  passed  since 
we  parted  at  the  Academy.  We  had  passed 
through  the  Mexican  War  in  the  meantime,  and 
manhood  had  taken  the  place  of  his  boyhood, 
but  there  was  the  same  generous  and  genial 
nature,  and  the  staff  position  which  he  occupied 
in  his  regiment  showed  that  he  had  developed 
the  qualities  of  an  efficient  officer.  There  was 
withal  not  a  blemish  in  his  moral  character. 
I  had  never  seen  him  under  fire,  and  yet  I  knew 
—perhaps  partly  by  the  report  of  his  associates, 
partly  by  an  unconscious  manifestation  of  charac 
ter — that  he  was  the  very  inspiration  of  gallantry 
and  cool  -  headedness  on  the  field  of  battle. 


054         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

BRIG.-GEN.  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    VOLUNTEERS. 

T  FIRST  met  the  Great  Captain,  in  honor  of 
whose  memory  we  are  now  assembled,  near 
the  spot  where  he  died,  in  the  autumn  of  1861  ; 
and  I  saw  him  for  the  last  time  early  in  January, 
1886,  when  he  seemed  to  be  in  good  health,  and 
bore  himself  in  his  usual  gracious  and  courteous 
manner,  and  his  fine  face  brightened  with  that 
beautiful  smile  his  friends  remember  so  well. 
Within  those  twenty-five  years,  although  never 
serving  with  or  under  him  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  chance  threw  us  frequently  together  in 
society,  more  particularly  during  the  dozen  years 
that  he  was  in  command  of  the  Division  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  stationed  at  New  York  City  and  on 
Governor's  Island. 

He  was  certainly,  in  his  uniform,  among  the 
grandest  figures  that  I  ever  gazed  upon,  and 
always  associated  in  my  mind  with  General  Win- 
field  Scott,  whose  name  he  bore,  and  that  majestic 
Missourian,  Colonel  Doniphan,  who,  early  in  the 
Mexican  War,  made  one  of  the  most  marvelous 
marches  on  record. 

Two  recent  occasions  when  I  saw  the  Knight  of 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  255 

the  Northern  Armies,  was  while  leading  that  mag1 
nificent  procession  to  the  grave  of  our  greatest 
soldier ;  and  when,  a  few  months  later,  he  walked 
sadly  by  the  side  of  the   mortal  remains  of  his 
loved  commander,  McClellan. 

General  Hancock  was  a  pure  and  loyal  patriot. 
Neither  political  nor  personal  preferences  ever 
induced  him  to  depart  in  the  slightest  degree 
from  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duty.  Although 
always  a  Democrat  and  a  warm  admirer  of 
McClellan,  he  advocated  Lincoln's  re-election  in 
1864,  and  rendered  an  equally  hearty  support  to 
McClellan's  successors  in  the  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  What  he  might  have 
achieved  had  he,  in  place  of  Burnside  or  Hooker, 
been  assigned  to  the  head  of  that  grand  old 
Army,  would  work  but  an  idle  and  useless  specu 
lation. 

There  are,  however,  those  who  believe  that  Han 
cock  would  have  won  better  results  than  those 
brave  but  unsuccessful  commanders. 

Can  I  better  conclude  this  brief  tribute  than  in 
the  words  applied  to  Cavaignac,  by  the  Censor  of 
the  age,  Thomas  Carlyle  ?  "  A  fine  Bayard  soul, 
with  figure  to  correspond,  a  man  full  of  serious 
ness,  with  genial  gayety  withal ;  of  really  fine 
faculties,  and  of  a  politeness  which  was  curiously 
elaborated  with  punctiliousness,  which  yet  sprang 


256         REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

from  frank  nature.      A  Republican  to  the  bone, 
but  a  Bayard." 

Pure  and  lofty  Patriot,   great  and  gallant  Sol 
dier,  good  and  faithful  Friend,  Farewell ! 


MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  M.  SCHOFIELD, 

UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

T  T  will  not  be  practicable  for  me  to  be  present  at 
the  Meeting  of  the  Military  Service  Institu-v 
tion,  to  be  held  on  the  25th  instant,  in  honor  of 
the  memory  of  the  late  General  Hancock.  Hence 
I  am  glad  to  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity 
afforded  by  the  Council  to  contribute,  in  writing, 
my  feeble  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  our 
distinguished  companion  and  friend,  whose  un 
timely  death  all  sincerely  mourn. 

It  was  not  my  good  fortune  to  be  personally 
associated  with  General  Hancock,  either  before  or 
during  the  late  war ;  hence  I  had  not  the  oppor 
tunity,  enjoyed  by  so  many  others,  of  an  early 
knowledge  of  his  rare  character  as  a  man  and  a 
soldier.  But  the  acquaintance  formed  in  1865 
soon  ripened  into  strong  friendship  and  ever- 
increasing  admiration  of  the  splendid  qualities 
which  made  Hancock,  in  my  estimation,  one  of 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


257 


the  very  foremost  men  of  our  time.  His  military 
record  places  him  in  the  highest  rank  among  sol 
diers  as  the  actual  commander  of  troops  upon  the 
field  of  battle,  while  his  administrative  discharge 
of  duties  was  always  marked  with  ability,  accu 
rate  knowledge,  and  with  profound  respect  for  law 
and  for  the  civil  and  military  rights  of  individuals. 

Even  more  exalted  than  the  splendid  soldier 
whom  all  admired,  was  the  noble  man,  so  warmly 
beloved  by  those  who  knew  him  well  ;  a  rare 
example  of  the  most  exalted  ambition  coupled 
with  absolute  purity  of  character  and  a  kind 
heart. 

The  military  service  has  lost  one  of  its  brightest 
ornaments,  the  country  one  of  its  purest  patriots. 

I  unite  with  the  members  of  the  Institution  in 
mourning  the  loss  of  our  illustrious  President. 


BVT.  MAJ.-GEN.  THOMAS  L.  CRITTENDEN, 

UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

C*  REATNESS  is  of  many  kinds.  Certain  quali 
ties  and  traits  of  character  are  sometimes 
the  fashion,  and  the  man  who  possesses  these  in 
an  eminent  degree  is  great  while  the  fashion  lasts 
— great  for  a  little  time,  and  then  forgotten. 


258         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

The  qualities  which  made  General  Hancock 
great,  his  love  of  truth,  his  splendid  bravery,  his 
integrity  and  patriotism,  these  have  outlived  all 
fashions  of  men  and  defied  every  age  of  corrup 
tion.  In  any  of  the  ages  General  Hancock  would 
have  been  great.  Moses  would  have  made  him  a 
leader  among  the  warriors  of  Israel,  and  inspired 
pens  would  have  recorded  his  deeds. 

Inside  or  out  of  the  walls  of  Troy — with  the 
heroic  sons  and  soldiers  of  Priam,  or  with  the 
warlike  Greeks,  Homer  would  have  painted  him 
in  everlasting  words. 

But  enough,  too  much,  perhaps,  about  the 
mighty  soldier,  for  all  are  familiar  with  his  career. 
But  I  must  say  a  word  about  the  fazx  friend  §® 
many  of  us  have  lost. 

That  draped  chair,1  in  which  he  will  never  sit 
again,  is  like  a  vacant  place  in  my  heart,  not  to 
be  filled  any  more  in  this  life.  And  so  another 
grief  has  come  to  abide  with  me. 

Though  we  can  no  more  feel  the  cordial  grasp 
of  his  hand,  nor  hear  his  gentle  voice  of  greeting, 
that  came  through  his  honest  eyes  and  sweet 
smile  before  it  was  uttered,  yet  we  can  all  thank 
God  that  He  sends  some  solace  hand  in  hand 
with  every  grief.  For  we  have  the  memory  of 
the  beautiful  character  of  our  dear  friend.  We 
can  recall  that  marvelous  mixture  of  traits  which 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  259 

made  him  as  loving  and  gentle  with  his  family 
and  friends  as  he  was  terrible  in  battle.  And  we 
can  rejoice  that  he  began  in  his  youth  to  build  a 
noble  character  and  was  able  to  finish. 


THE   HON.  SAMUEL  J.  TILDEN, 

OF    NEW    YORK. 

T  HAVE  the  honor  to  receive  your  note  enclosing 
an  invitation  of  "The  Council  of  the  Military 
Service  Institution,  "  to  attend  the  meeting  at  Gov 
ernor's  Island  on  Thursday,  February  25,  1886,  at  8 
p.  M.,  at  which  General  Wm.  F.  Smith  will  read  a 
paper  upon  the  "  Life  and  Services  of  Major-General 
Winfield  Scott  Hancock. " 

It  is  with  much  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to  deny 
myself  the  melancholy  satisfaction  of  being  per 
sonally  present  on  that  interesting  occasion. 

I  cordially  join  in  the  homage  which  the  whole 
people  render  to  the  dashing  bravery  and  consum 
mate  abilities  of  the  superb  soldier  whom  the 
country  has  lost  in  the  death  of  Hancock. 

His  comrade,  General  Smith,  will  so  truly  appre 
ciate  his  military  qualities  and  services  and  his 
patriotic  devotion,  that  it  would  be  in  vain  for  me 


260         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

to  attempt  to  add  to  his  expression  of  the  senti 
ments  of  his  companions -in -arms,  and  of  the 
general  public. 


GEORGE  WILLIAM  CHILDS,  ESQ., 

OF    PHILADELPHIA. 

HTHE  fact  that  General  Wm.  F.  Smith  is  to  read 
a  paper  on  "The  Life  and  Services  of  General 
Hancock, "  gives  me  a  strong  desire  to  attend  the 
Council  of  the  Military  Service  Institution  on  the 
evening  of  the  25th  inst.,  but  it  so  happens,  to  my 
regret,  that  I  cannot  attend. 

General  Smith  (like  yourself  and  some  other  of 
his  Army  associates)  knew  the  great  soldierly  and 
manly  qualities  of  General  Hancock  so  well,  that 
he  can  do  justice  to  them  in  the  soldier's  direct, 
forcible  and  impressive  way,  and  better  than  any 
except  the  best  -  equipped  civilian,  historical  or 
biographical  writer  can  do. 

Expressing  my  own  view  of  General  Hancock, 
I  regard  him  as  having  been  as  near  the  perfect 
type  of  a  thorough  soldier  as  any  one  can  be  ;  as 
able  a  general,  up  to  the  full  extent  of  the  oppor 
tunities  of  the  responsible  commands  entrusted  to 
him,  as  our  country  has  produced  ;  as  heroic  and 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  2  6  I 

brilliant  as  any  among  the  distinguished  lieuten 
ants  of  the  great  military  commanders  of  history  ; 
and,  above  all,  as  among  the  most  dutiful  in  prompt 
and  full  obedience,  and  valuable  in  the  results 
achieved  in  executing  the  orders  of  his  chief.  He 
had  the  quick  eye  of  the  born  general  to  see  a 
military  advantage,  and  the  quick  hand  of  the 
administrative  soldier  to  seize  it. 

Few  soldiers  have  combined  more  thoroughly 
than  Hancock  the  brilliant  qualities  of  Murat  or 
Lannes  on  the  one  side,  and  the  highly  serviceable 
qualities  of  steadiness  and  persistence  of  Mac- 
donald  or  Desaix  on  the  other.  He  knew  "  the 
value  of  ministers  "  in  executing  military  orders  in 
the  field,  and  what  he  was  directed  to  do  he  did, 
and  where  he  was  ordered  to  be  he  was,  at  the 
precise  time. 

He  was  a  soldier,  too,  who  understood  two 
cardinal  principles  in  the  ruling  of  great  matters 
in  the  affairs  of  nations,  one  of  which  is  too  often 
forgotten.  While  he  knew  it  must  happen  at  times 
that  the  civil  laws  have  to  be  held  in  abeyance  in 
the  midst  of  war,  he  also  knew  and  practised  the 
other  high  principle  of  restoring  the  supremacy  of 
the  civil  law  the  moment  war  was  done. 

The  broad  and  deep  hold  General  Hancock  had 
upon  the  affections  of  his  countrymen,  was  shown 
in  the  spontaneous  genuineness  and  almost  univer- 


262         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

sality  of  the  tributes  of  homage  paid  to  his  services 
and  his  character,  immediately  when  the  intelli 
gence  of  his  death  was  announced. 


COLONEL  FREDERICK  D.  GRANT, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

T  DEEPLY  regret  that  absence  from  New  York 
will  prevent  my  attending  the  Memorial 
Meeting  at  the  Military  Service  Institution  to 
morrow. 

My  own  words  could  but  poorly  express  the  ad 
miration  I  felt  for  the  distinguished  and  gallant 
officer  we  now  mourn  ;  but  I  should  have  appreci 
ated  the  opportunity  to  listen  to  the  eulogies  which 
will  be  bestowed  upon  his  memory  by  your 
Society. 

My  father's  family  will  cherish  in  highest  re 
spect  and  admiration  the  memory  of  General 
Hancock.  They  will  ever  feel  the  deepest  grati 
tude  for,  and  warmest  appreciation  of,  his  tender 
and  last  attentions  to  General  Grant. 

I  hope  that  you  will  convey  to  the  members  of 
the  Military  Service  Institution  my  thanks  for  their 
remembrance  of  me  in  thus  giving  me  the  oppor- 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


tunity  to  add  to  theirs  my  expressions  of  sorrow 
and  sympathy  upon  the  loss  of  General  Han 
cock. 


GENERAL  JOHN  B.  GORDON, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    SENATOR. 

T  T  is  a  sad  but  greatly  prized  privilege  to  unite 
with  the  friends  of  General  Hancock  in  pay 
ing  tribute  to  his  memory.  In  uniting  with  his 
friends,  we  unite  with  the  entire  body  of  his 
countrymen.  What  section,  what  State,  what 
home,  but  contains  the  friends  of  this  great 
soldier  ?  How  shall  we  number  or  classify  them  ? 
The  brave  men  who  followed  his  standard  and 
shared  with  him  the  dangers  and  the  glories  of 
the  field,  and  the  equally  brave  men  who  con 
fronted  him  in  battle,  and  so  often  witnessed  his 
brilliant  achievements  and  felt  the  force  and  fury 
of  his  sudden  onset,  are  alike  his  friends.  His 
countrymen  of  the  North,  who  during  the  Civil 
War  reposed  with  unfaltering  faith  upon  his  al 
most  invincible  prowess,  will  hold  him  forever  in 
affectionate  remembrance  ;  but  among  his  friends 
must  also  be  included  his  countrymen  of  the  South, 
who  in  war  learned  to  regard  him  as  the  Thunder- 


264         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

bolt  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  as  the  imperson 
ation  of  a  consecrated  courage  unsullied  by  one 
act  of  cruelty  or  vindictiveness,  and  who  at  the 
close  of  that  struggle  saw  him  in  their  midst, 
under  the  responsibilities  of  a  personal  adminis 
tration  and  in  the  very  zenith  of  his  military  fame, 
achieve  also  undying  civil  fame  by  the  abnegation 
of  his  military  power  over  his  defeated  country 
men,  as  he  laid  his  sheathed  and  untarnished 
sword — a  fitting  sacrifice — an  the  altar  of  the  civil 
law. 

In  the  estimation  of  his  Southern  countrymen, 
bereft,  as  they  were,  by  the  contingencies  of  war, 
of  the  protection  of  courts  and  of  civil  environ 
ments,  and  dependent  for  the  time  upon  his  un 
challenged  power  and  will,  this  self-imposed  re 
straint  of  a  great  soldier,  this  subjection  of  him 
self  and  all  his  military  powers  to  the  supremacy 
of  the  civil  law  is  a  spectacle  of  moral  grandeur 
almost  without  a  parallel  in  history.  In  their 
estimation,  no  language  can  exaggerate  the  honors 
due  General  Hancock  for  this  great  action,  nor 
over-state  its  beneficent  consequences  to  their 
rights  and  liberties  ;  and  such  action  must  canonize 
this  soldier,  wherever  it  is  known,  with  the  lovers 
of  civil  liberty  in  all  lands  and  all  ages. 

Anything  more  than  this  simple  but  sincere 
tribute  to  his  memory  would  seem  inconsistent 


LE  TTE  RS  A  XD  A DDRESSES.  265 

with  the  noble  simplicity  of  his  character  and  the 
perfect  symmetry  of  his  superb  manhood.  If  it 
can  be  truthfully  affirmed  of  any  man,  it  can  be 
of  General  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  that  he  was  a 
model  Soldier,  a  model  Citizen,  a  typical  Amer 
ican. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  HENRY  W.  SLOCUM, 

LATE  UNITED  STATES  VOLUNTEERS. 

T  SINCERELY  regret  that  I  was  prevented  by 
illness  from  attending  the  Memorial  Meeting 
on  the  25th  ultimo. 

My  associations  with  General  Hancock  during 
the  war  and  since  its  close  enable  me  to  appreciate 
his  merits  as  a  soldier  and  a  citizen.  On  the  field 
of  battle  he  had  no  superior  in  either  army.  A 
true  and  accurate  history  of  the  war  is  yet  to  be 
written.  Notwithstanding  the  high  position  now 
universally  accorded  to  him,  I  know  that  every 
error  of  history  which  is  to  be  corrected — any  new 
truth  brought  to  light — will  add  to  his  fame. 

His  connection  with  the  civil  and  political  affairs 
of  our  country  since  the  close  of  the  war  endeared 
him  to  millions  of  his  countrymen,  and  was  in 
keeping  with  his  brilliant  career  as  a  soldier 


266         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


BVT.  BRIG.-GEN.  WILLIAM  W.  BURNS, 

ASS'T  COMMISSARY-GENERAL,  U.  S.  A. 

TT  is  with  diffidence  I  say  a  word  on  this  occa 
sion,  feeling1  a  delicacy  in  speaking  of  General 
Hancock,  when  anything  I  could  say  would  seem 
self-asserting — for  our  relations  were  most  confi 
dential.  At  West  Point,  in  Mexico,  in  Florida,  in 
Utah,  and  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  the 
time  our  divisions  simultaneously  crossed  the 
bridges  to  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  (I  was 
soon  after  called  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland), 
I  had  learned  to  estimate  his  characteristics  of 
thought  and  action  by  examples  ;  and  so  estimat 
ing,  have  reason  to  believe,  and  feel  impelled  to 
say  here,  without  detracting  from  the  well-earned 
fame  of  others,  that  to  General  Hancock  the 
Nation  owes  the  victory  of  the  battle  of  Gettys 
burg.  His  was  the  originating  and  moving  spirit 
of  that  battle  ;  but  for  him  it  would  have  been 
lost !  My  knowledge  of  the  facts  and  circum 
stances  comes  from  him  and  from  the  records.  I 
have  said  as  much  to  him  without  contradiction. 
It  is  the  simple  truth,  and  his  spirit  will  endorse  it. 
History  will  record  it. 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  267 

MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN   F.   HARTRANFT, 

LATE  UNITED  STATES  VOLUNTEERS. 

T  REGRET  that  I  cannot  attend  the  Council 
of  the  Military  Service  Institution  of  the 
United  States  in  commemoration  of  General  Win- 
field  Scott  Hancock,  at  Governor's  Island  on  the 
25th  inst. 

His  was  always  a  soldierly  figure  and  a  soldierly 
fame.  He  had  no  opportunity  to  conduct  large 
operations  independently,  but  the  skill  and 
promptitude  with  which  he  marshaled  the  Union 
forces  on  the  field  of  Gettysburg  showed  the  eye 
and  instinct  of  the  commander.  But  as  a  lieuten 
ant  he  was  unsurpassed.  His  loyalty  was  abso 
lute.  I  do  not  mean  loyalty  to  the  Cause  only, 
but  loyalty,  as  a  soldier,  to  his  chief.  Whatever 
opinions  of  his  own  he  may  have  had — and  un 
doubtedly  he  had  some  very  decided  ones — his 
interpretation  and  obedience  of  orders  were  alto 
gether  unbiassed  and  impersonal.  To  comprehend 
and  carry  out  the  plans  of  his  chief,  to  subordinate 
himself  to  duty,  had  become  a  second  nature  to 
him.  His  quick,  alert  mind  and  extensive  profes 
sional  knowledge  and  experience  enabled  him  to 
execute  his  part  of  extended  and  complicated 


268         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

operations  with  a  perfect  understanding1  of  its 
relative  importance.  Then  he  was  emphatically  a 
fighter.  No  corps  in  the  army  was  fought  harder 
than  Hancock's.  When  Grant  set  the  two  armies 
in  a  death  grapple,  with  the  determination  never 
to  break  or  loosen  it  until  one  or  the  other  was 
exhausted  and  subdued,  a  soldier  like  Hancock 
was  invaluable  to  him.  The  vigor,  pertinacity 
and  boldness  of  his  attacks  in  the  Wilderness  and 
at  Spottsylvania. admirably  seconded  the  views  of 
his  chief. 

Certainly,  no  higher  eulogy  can  be  paid  any 
man  than  the  one  we  can  justly  pronounce  upon 
General  Hancock,  that  he  was  of  the  finest  type 
of  a  citizen-soldier,  kind  and  gentle  in  Peace, 
fierce  and  invincible  in  War. 


BVT.  MAJ.-GEN.  ABNER  DOUBLEDAY, 

UNITED  STATES  ARMY. 

PREVIOUS  to  Gettysburg  I  had  seen  but  lit 
tle  of  Hancock.  At  the  close  of  the  battle 
there,  on  the  first  day,  when  our  battered  troops, 
worn  out  by  hard  fighting  in  resisting  the  advance 
of  Lee's  army,  rallied  on  Cemetery  Hill,  Hancock 
rode  up  at  a  most  opportune  time.  We  were 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


269 


forming  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  Cemetery,  the 
intention  being  to  remain  until  help  came.  There 
was  nothing  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  encircling 
and  capturing  us  all,  for  every  division  of  the 
Confederate  forces,  with  the  exception  of  one, 
was  either  in  line  of  battle  or  very  near  the  town. 
Hancock  at  once  appreciated  the  value  of  this 
curved  ridge  as  a  defensive  position  for  our  army, 
and  resolved  to  hold  it,  if  possible.  By  posting 
troops  far  on  the  right  and  left  he  gave  the  enemy 
the  impression  that  we  had  a  long  line  and  had 
been  heavily  reinforced.  They  accordingly  de 
layed  their  attack  until  the  next  day,  and  the 
ridge  remained  in  our  possession. 

This  was  the  first  great  service  rendered  on  that 
field  by  Hancock. 

On  the  second  day,  when  Anderson's  division 
pierced  our  centre,  Hancock  checked  them  by 
ordering  a  desperate  charge,  in  which  the  First 
Minnesota  regiment  sacrificed  itself  for  the  com 
mon  good  ,  and  by  bringing  up  Willard's  brigade 
in  time  to  protect  our  line  of  guns,  he  thus  saved 
the  army  from  being  cut  in  two. 

This  was  his  second  great  service  in  the  battle. 

It  is  needless  to  speak  of  Pickett's  charge 
against  Hancock's  front  on  the  third  day,  when 
the  elite  of  the  Southern  army  went  down  before 
our  guns. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

I  can  almost  fancy  I  see  Hancock  again  as  he 
rode  past  the  front  of  his  command,  just  previous 
to  the  assault,  followed  by  a  single  orderly  dis 
playing  his  corps  flag,  while  the  missiles  from  a 
hundred  pieces  of  artillery  tore  up  the  ground 
around  him. 

He  was  wounded  while  personally  superintend 
ing  a  flank  attack  upon  the  enemy. 

The  repulse  of  this  great  charge  was,  perhaps, 
the  crowning  achievement  of  his  life. 

As  he  lay  helpless  in  his  ambulance  he  wrote  to 
urge  a  vigorous  pursuit  of  the  beaten  army,  not 
forgetting  in  the  midst  of  his  own  pain,  suffering, 
and  probable  death,  the  great  interests  confided 
to  his  care. 

All  honor  to  Hancock  as  a  patriot,  a  soldier  and 
a  gentleman. 


BVT.  MAJ.-GEN.  ORLANDO  B.  WILLCOX 

UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

V\/HEN  I  was  a  pleb,  or  "  thing,"  at  West  Point, 
Hancock  was  a  first-class-man.  Conse 
quently  my  acquaintance  at  that  time  was  like 
the  acquaintance  of  a  mortal  with  the  gods.  But 
I  remember  well  his  tall,  slender,  and  handsome 


LE TTERS  A ND  ADDRESSES. 

person,  which  he  bore  without  haughtiness  or  con 
descension,  even  to  the  plebs.  I  remember  that 
he  challenged  a  classmate — I  think  it  was  the 
Adjutant — to  a  fist  fight,  which  excited  great 
curiosity  and  profound  interest  in  the  corps,  as 
well  as  some  alarm  lest  the  authorities  should  get 
wind  of  it,  and  spoil  the  fun  ;  and  that  Hancock's 
audacity  and  pluck  on  the  occasion  made  him  one 
of  the  few  notables  in  a  class  not  particularly 
distinguished  by  men  of  character. 

After  next  meeting  him  casually  in  the  city  of 
Mexico,  I  saw  little  of  Hancock  until  I  was  Lieu 
tenant  in  Lovell's  Battery,  stationed  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  near  St.  Louis,  and  Hancock  was  an 
officer  in  the  Sixth  Infantry.  His  regiment  had 
left  that  region,  but  Hancock  returned  to  claim 
his  bride,  Miss  Almira  Russell,  one  of  the  sweetest 
reigning  belles  of  St.  Louis.  The  marriage  took 
place  in  January,  1850.  Don  Carlos  Buell,  Ander 
son  D.  Nelson  and  myself  were  groomsmen,  and 
two  fair  Misses  Graham  and  Miss  Mary  Colyer  (I 
think)  were  the  bridesmaids.  The  couple  were  as 
handsome  a  pair  as  can  be  imagined.  Hancock 
was  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  with  the  Mexican 
laurels  on  his  brow,  and  though  a  Second  Lieuten 
ant,  he  was  the  Adjutant  of  his  regiment. 

I  next  met  him  at  Fort  Myers,  Florida,  in  the 
winter  of  1855-56,  a  Captain  in  the  Quartermas- 


2J2         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINfilELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

ter's  Department.  It  was  during  the  Billy  Bow- 
Legs  campaign,  and  we  were  all  bustle  and  excite 
ment,  coming  and  going  between  Tampa  Bay, 
Fort  Myers  and  the  Everglades.  Harney  was  in 
command.  There  were  but  few  wives  with  their 
husbands,  and  Mrs.  Hancock  was  one  of  them. 
Their  little  quarters  were  a  perfect  oasis  in  the 
desert  to  the  rest  of  us,  and  the  liberal  hospitality 
and  genial  cordiality  of  Captain  and  Mrs.  Hancock 
shed  a  glow  of  sunshine  over  our  precious  visits  at 
Tampa.  At  the  same  time  "  things  had  to  move" 
under  the  thousand  official  perplexities  and  annoy 
ing  calls  upon  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 
His  industry  and  painstaking  were  untiring  ;  his 
accommodating  spirit  and  rapid  work  at  "  filling 
requisitions  "  were  so  manifest  that,  for  once,  men 
failed  to  "  damn  the  Quartermaster." 

In  the  great  Civil  War,  after  thirteen  months' 
imprisonment,  I  was  thrown  near  Hancock  at  and 
after  Antietam.  He  was  already  characterized  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  as  the  "  superb  Han 
cock,"  from  one  of  McClellan's  reports,  due  not 
only  to  his  well-known  carriage  and  appearance, 
but  to  the  splendor  of  his  actual  fighting  qualities. 
He  was  the  Paladin  of  our  knightly  cavaliers,  and 
he  could  press  the  fight  as  hard  and  close,  and 
make  it  as  enthusiastic  with  his  own  men  and  as 
hot  for  the  enemy,  as  any  general  in  the  war.  But 


LE TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  273 

his  precautions  and  preparations  for  the  charge  or 
defense  were  so  thorough  that  his  success  was 
almost  inevitable,  so  long  as  he  could  hold  his  men 
in  hand  or  get  his  orders  obeyed,  which  difficult 
task  he  generally  managed  to  accomplish  by  dint 
of  personal  pressure  and  bold  supervision  at  every 
critical  point  of  the  field. 

But  I  had  also  some  personal  knowledge  of  a 
trait  less  well  known  to  the  world,  and  that  is,  his 
perfect  loyalty  to  every  commander-in-chief  of 
that  army,  and  his  efforts  as  a  peace-maker  to 
smooth  the  rubs  and  heal  the  discussion  between 
the  hot-headed  adherents  of  different  chiefs ;  and 
I  take  this  opportunity  to  acknowledge  my  own 
indebtedness  to  Hancock's  tact  and  firmness  in 
this  direction  in  the  unwritten  history  of  the 
"  Army  of  the  Potomac." 

I  am  sure  that  if  McClellan  and  Burnside  were 
now  alive  they  would  lay  an  additional  wreath  on 
the  altar  we  are  now  beginning  to  raise  to  the 
memory  of  their  comrade  and  subaltern. 

Hancock  may  go  down  to  history  as  the 
Marshal  Ney  of  our  war,  But  he  was  a  greater 
man  than  Ney — for  he  was  incapable  of  infidelity 
to  man,  woman  or  child. 


274 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


BVT.  MAJ.-GEN.  GEORGE  W.  CULLUM. 

UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

TN  looking  over  Hancock's  record  I  have  been 
forcibly  struck  with  his  unhesitating  obedience 
to  superiors,  his  unswerving  fidelity  in  the  per 
formance  of  every  duty,  and  his  steadfast  loyalty 
to  the  flag  under  which  he  was  educated. 

Leaving  the  Military  Academy  at  an  impression 
able  age,  when  feeling  is  apt  to  dominate  the 
reasoning  faculties,  Hancock  was  ordered  to  the 
South,  and  continued  in  slave-holding  territory  for 
nearly  thirteen  years,  except  while  in  Mexico  en 
gaged  in  a  war  for  the  extension  of  southern  ter 
ritory.  In  these  thirteen  years,  however,  he  never 
for  a  moment  was  swayed  from  his  true  allegiance 
by  the  blandishments  of  those  around  him,  as  the 
sequel  proved.  In  1859  he  became  the  Chief- 
Quartermaster  of  the  Southern  District  of  Califor 
nia,  mostly  populated  from  the  slave-holding 
States,  and  consequently,  when  the  Rebellion 
began,  was  surrounded  with  Southern  influences. 
Though  believing  in  the  doctrine  of  States  rights, 
he  had  no  toleration  for  secession,  which  had  pre 
cipitated  the  conflict  of  arms.  Hence,  when  the 
echoes  of  the  cannon-shot  fired  on  Fort  Sumter 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


275 


reverberated  across  the  continent,  he  denounced 
this  fatal  heresy,  and  in  a  patriotic  Fourth  of  July 
speech  to  the  assembled  troops,  advocated  the 
Union  cause,  which  soon  he  brilliantly  sustained 
with  his  trusty  sword.  In  the  four  years  which 
followed,  he  was  always  the  knightly  soldier, 
carrying  out  the  commands  of  his  chief  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fray. 

During  the  Reconstruction  period,  Hancock,  on 
his  way  to  his  Southern  command,  penned  his 
famous  Order  No.  40,  saying  :  "  In  war  it  is  indis 
pensable  to  repel  force  by  force,  to  overthrow  and 
destroy  opposition  to  lawful  authority  ;  but  when 
insurrectionary  force  has  been  overthrown  and 
peace  established,  and  the  civil  authorities  are 
ready  and  willing  to  perform  their  duties,  the  mili 
tary  powers  should  cease  to  lead  and  the  civil 
administration  resume  its  natural  and  rightful 
dominion."  Noble  words  !  which  he  in  spirit  and 
deed  carried  out  so  faithfully  as  to  command  alike 
the  admiration  of  friends  and  foes. 

In  after  years,  when  he  became  candidate  for 
the  Presidency,  and  was  defeated,  he  promptly 
acknowledged  that  t\\evox  populi  was  the  vox  Dei, 
and  cheerfully  attended  the  inauguration  of  his 
opponent.  When  the  ceremony  terminated,  he 
was  among  the  first  to  congratulate  General 
Garfield  as  President  of  the  United  States. 


2  76         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Though  Hancock  never  rose  to  the  command 
of  an  army,  he  fulfilled  Seneca's  definition  of  a 
great  man  :  "  One  who  chooses  right  with  the 
most  invincible  resolution  ;  who  resists  the  sorest 
temptation  from  within  and  without  ;  who  bears 
the  heaviest  burdens  cheerfully  ;  who  is  calmest 
in  storms,  and  most  fearless  under  menaces  and 
frowns  ;  whose  reliance  on  truth,  on  virtue  and 
on  God  is  most  unfaltering." 


PROFESSOR  HENRY  COPPEE,  LL.  D., 

LEHIGH    UNIVERSITY. 

meet  to  honor  the  memory  and  speak  of 
the  great  services  of  our  distinguished 
brother,  WINFIELD  SCOTT  HANCOCK.  We  have  sor 
rowed  for  his  loss ;  but,  Sir,  I  do  not  think  the 
present  is  an  occasion  of  mourning.  That  passed 
with  the  stunning  shock  of  his  departure  ;  the 
lying-in-state  in  yonder  darkened  chamber  ;  with 
the  funeral  march  and  the  crashing  vollies  over 
his  newly  covered  remains.  Oh,  Sir,  we  shall 
continue  to  hold  him  in  tender  memory,  and  regret 
that  his  place — his  large  place — 's  vacant  in  our 
circle  and  in  the  world.  But  there  is  another  view 


LE TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  2JJ 

of  his  departure.  It  was  the  remark  of  a  wise 
ancient  that  we  should  account  no  man  happy 
until  his  death.  However  famous  and  prosperous 
and  enviable  his  exalted  station  among"  men,  there 
still  remain  for  him,  as  for  all,  "the  ills  that  flesh 
is  heir  to."  He  cannot  foresee,  and  cannot  avoid 
the  possible  downfalls,  the  sufferings,  the  losses, 
the  jarrings  of  controversy,  the  defection  of  friends 
and  the  schemes  of  enemies,  which  embitter  so 
many  lives,  and  which  intervene  like  a  thick  and 
baleful  mist  between  him  and  the  day  of  his 
departure.  Like  abdicating  kings  and  ruined  men 
unknown,  he  may  tire  of  his  life  and  cry  out  to  be 
released,  or  he  may  live  on  and  on  to  a  time  when 

"  From  Marlborough's  eyes  the  tears  of  dotage  flow, 
And  Swift  expires  a  driveller  and  a  show.  " 

But  when  to  the  man  of  lofty  deeds,  noble  char 
acter,  and  large  renown,  even  in  the  very  vigor  of 
life,  the  final  mandate  comes,  he  who  has  thus 
endured  and  suffered,  wandering  amid  the  smoke 
and  mists  of  earth,  rises  at  once  above  our  limited 
empyrean  and  takes  his  place  once  and  forever 
among 


the  dwellers  in  the  Infinite 


At  home  among  the  stars.  " 

Then  only  is  he  deathless,  when  his  human  renown, 
fixed  and  unalterable,  is  rendered  lustrous  by  "  the 


2  78         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

white  radiance  of  Eternity."  And  so  it  is  with 
Hancock.  A  man  with  "  troops  of  friends  "  and 
no  enemies,  he  had  achieved  his  fame :  the  world 
acknowledged  it.  From  the  common  ground  of 
our  Alma  Mater,  he  came  forth  vigorous  in  frame, 
full  of  energy — not  without  ambition,  but  with  no 
special  mark  of  future  distinction  upon  his  fair 
young  forehead.  Looking  neither  to  the  right  nor 
the  left,  he  marched  right  onward  ;  no  obstacle 
could  withstand  him.  Stalwart,  brave,  thoughtful, 
just  and  true,  wherever  he  went  he  was  the  "  cyno 
sure  of  neighboring  eyes— the  observed  of  all  observ 
ers.  "  Even  in  the  van  he  fought  and  bled  for  his 
country,  and,  when  Peace  came,  the  hero  became 
the  magnanimous,  just  and  merciful  counsellor— 
"the  Happy  Warrior"  of  the  poet — who  loved  to 
heal  the  wounds  that  he  had  been  pledged  and 
sworn  to  give  with  all  his  soul  and  might.  With 
no  political  aspirations,  he  was  proposed  by  a  large 
constituency  for  the  office  of  Chief  Magistrate  of 
the  country — a  post  which  he  did  not  seek,  and 
the  failure  to  obtain  which  he  did  not  regret.  Few 
additional  honors  could  await  him.  It  was  a  noble 
life  ;  a  finished  record — an  illustrious  soldier,  a 
noble  man,  an  honorable  gentleman  !  What  more 
is  there  to  say  ?  Sir,  while  we  still  mourn  our  loss 
and  join  our  tears  with  one  whose  name  shall  be 
sacred,  let  us  esteem  him  more  fortunate  than 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  2  79 

Croesus,  in  that  he  was  happy  in  his  death.  His 
last  public  and  superb  appearance  was  when  he  led 
the  Nation  to  the  tomb  of  Grant.  The  last 
funeral  he  attended  was  that  of  his  friend 
McClellan;  both  illustrious  men,  with  whom  he 
had  shared  the  highest  honors  of  war. 

Will  you  pardon  me  the  infirmity  of  a  life  habit, 
Sir,  if  I  cannot  refrain  from  pointing  a  moral, 
especially  for  our  younger  brethren  of  the  Army  ? 
If  I  have  read  his  life  aright,  its  marked  virtue, 
where  no  others  are  wanting,  is  CONSTANCY — to 
detail  in  business,  to  duty,  to  conscience,  to  a  con 
sideration  of  others  ;  and  to  that  noble  profession 
of  arms,  of  which  he  was  an  electric  light,  and 
which,  guided  by  justice  and  judgment,  and 
practised  by  a  virtuous  and  intelligent  people,  is 
the  strong  outer  bulwark  of  our  beloved  land. 

One  word  more  and  I  have  done.  You  will 
remember  one  of  those  epigrammatic  sentences  of 
the  soldier-historian  of  the  Peninsula,  when  speak 
ing  of  a  noble  death  on  the  battle-field.  I  use  it 
with  slight  modification  here,  as  I  think  of  those 
of  our  heroes  who,  within  so  brief  a  period,  have 
been  gathered  together  as  they  have  fallen  "  in 
the  world's  broad  field  of  battle ;"  and  as  he,  the 
last  as  yet,  takes  his  place  among  them,  I  apply  it 
to  Hancock  :  "  None  died  with  more  glory  than 
he,  and  yet  many  died  and  there  was  much  glory,  " 


280         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

BVT.  BRIG.-GEN.  THOMAS  M.  VINCENT, 

ASS'T  ADJUTANT-GENERAL,  U.  S.  A. 

T  FIRST  met  the  late  Major-General  Hancock 
•*•  at  West  Point,  in  1850.  He  was  then  a  Second 
Lieutenant  in  the  Sixth  Infantry,  and  I  was  a  cadet. 
The  acquaintance  then  established,  ripened,through 
future  years,  into  an  intimate  friendship,  cemented 
by  close  association.  I  last  met  him,  as  my  guest, 
in  the  early  part  of  1884,  at  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
In  1856  we  met  in  service  in  Florida,  during  the 
hostilities  against  the  Seminole  Indians  ;  and,  with 
the  other  surviving  officers  of  the  Second  Artillery, 
I  can  attest  the  pleasant  recollections  of  Hancock, 
who  was  the  Chief  Quartermaster  of  the  District 
of  the  Caloosahatchee,  and  the  Depot  Quarter 
master  at  Fort  Myers.  That  post  was  the  base 
and  the  depot  for  land  and  water  transportation 
connected  with  the  operations.  A  line  of  military 
posts,  established  under  the  direction  of  the  War 
Department,  extended  from  Fort  Myers  to  Fort 
Jupiter,  and  the  water  portions  of  the  line  embrac 
ed  the  Caloosahatchee  River  and  Lake  Okeecho- 
bee.  The  Indians  were  to  be  kept  south  of  the 
line,  and  the  operations  of  the  troops  were  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  them  from  the  State.  Besides 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  28  I 

the  transportation  needed  along  the  cordon,  a  fleet 
of  metallic  barges  were  used  for  operations  on  and 
from  the  Gulf  coast  adjacent  to  the  Big  Cypress 
and  Everglades. 

When  Hancock  was  ordered  to  report  for  duty, 
I  was  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  troops  in  Flor 
ida,  composed  of  regulars  and  volunteers,  then  com 
manded  by  Colonel  John  Munroe.  The  question 
of  supplies  had  not  at  that  time  been  simplified  by 
the  use  of  the  railroad  and  telegraph,  and  the  re 
sponsibility  for  the  heavy  labors  of  the  Quarter 
master's  Department  was  important ;  discretion 
had  to  be  rested  with  officers  remote  from  head 
quarters.  But  anxiety  and  concern  on  the  part  of 
the  commander  of  the  forces  disappeared  when  he 
knew  that  Hancock  was  to  have  charge  at  the 
base,  for  he  knew  him  through  his  Mexican  War 
service — at  the  National  Bridge,  Plan  del  Rio,  San 
Antonio,  Contreras,  Churubusco,  Molino  del  Rey, 
and  the  assault  and  capture  of  the  city  of  Mexico. 
Such  confidence  from  an  officer  who  had  gained 
renown  in  three  prior  campaigns  against  the  Semi- 
noles,  aside  from  the  distinguished  services  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  as  the  Military  and  Civil  Gov 
ernor  of  New  Mexico,was  a  compliment  which  Han 
cock  appreciated,  and  by  which  he  was  stimulated. 
His  subsequent  spheres  of  duty  in  the  Kansas  dis 
turbances,  with  the  Utah  forces,  and  in  California, 


282          REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

foreshadowed,  in  an  additional  manner,  the  dis 
tinction  which  attached  to  him  through  the  weight 
ier  responsibilities  of  the  war,  in  which  he  gained 
the  admiration  of  both  the  Union  and  the  Con 
federate  armies. 

Hancock's  ideal  of  charity  was  the  "  mother 
whose  eyes  rest  lovingly  on  the  child  at  her  breast, 
who  has  no  thought  of  self,  but  forgets  her  beauty 
in  her  love."  Philanthropy,  when  apparent  as  the 
"  vain  woman  who  likes  to  deck  herself  out  in  her 
good  works,  and  admire  herself  in  the  glass,"  he 
condemned. 

His  last  words  touched  tender  chords,  partic 
ularly  in  the  hearts  of  devoted  friends  who  had 
witnessed  the  many  beautiful  traits  of  his  family 
life.  Near  the  last  solemn  moment  his  heart  went 
out  to  his  devoted  wife  with  that  unfinished  good 
bye  !  Then  it  was,  to  borrow  from  Chateaubriand, 
that  the  remembrance  of  all  relating  to  War  had 
ceased,  the  fore-courts  of  military  edifices  had 
been  passed,  and  in  the  quiet  of  their  rear  appeared 
the  image  of  rest  and  hope,  at  the  end  of  a  life 
exposed  to  a  thousand  hardships  and  dangers. 

Honest  man,  faithful  citizen,  true  friend,  brilliant 
soldier — the  golden  tablet  of  thy  fame  will  ever 
be  guarded  by  your  devoted  countrymen ! 


T 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  283 


BVT.  MAJOR  WILLIAM  P.  WILSON, 

LATE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY. 

HE  sudden  death  of  General  Hancock  was  to 
me  a  great  loss  and  sorrow.  In  December, 
1862.  I  was  ordered  to  report  to  him  at  Falmouth, 
Va.,  for  duty  as  "  mustering1  officer "  of  the  first 
division,  Second  Army  Corps.  Then  a  young  and 
inexperienced  lieutenant  of  volunteers,  I  can  dis 
tinctly  recall  my  trepidation  on  entering  his  office, 
and  how  quickly  it  was  dispelled  by  his  cordial 
greeting.  His  considerate  kindness  at  once  won 
my  confidence,  which,  in  five  years'  service  on  his 
personal  staff,  deepened  into  love  and  respect  that 
increased  with  the  passing  years,  for  he  honored 
me  with  his  friendship  until  the  day  of  his  death. 
It  is  not  to  his  almost  faultless  military  reputa 
tion  that  I  would  bear  witness,  but  rather  to  those 
trials  of  character  that  bound  his  friends  to  him 
and  commanded  the  respect  of  all.  Eminently 
just,  especially  to  his  subordinates,  he  never 
failed  to  give  credit  where  it  was  due.  Honest, 
truthful,  and  without  guile  himself,  he  never 
suspected  it  in  others.  Generous  to  a  fault,  he 
never  could  refuse  aid  to  the  needy.  Pure-minded 
and  with  the  highest  reverence  for  woman,  every 
thing  savoring  of  vulgarity  was  more  than  dis- 


284         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

tasteful  to  him.  His  loyalty  to  his  friends  was 
undoubted  and  abiding.  Could  I  present  to  you, 
to  the  world,  and  my  own  children,  but  one 
picture  of  this  illustrious  soldier,  this  man  I 
loved  so  well,  it  would  be  his  spotless  integrity, 
and  his  purity  of  life. 

In  what  magnificent  stead  stood  him  these 
qualities  when  he  came  before  the  people  as  a 
Presidential  candidate  !  He,  the  only  one  against 
whose  patriotic  and  blameless  record  the  shafts 
of  partisan  malice  were  never  ventured !  He 
needed  no  Presidency,  nor  higher  title,  to  round 
out  the  fullness  of  his  fame.  It  is  enshrined  in- 
effaceably  in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people, 
and  neither  monuments  nor  annals  of  history 
will  be  needed  to  teach  the  inheritors  of  free 
government  that  it  lost  one  of  its  noblest,  purest 
and  most  heroic  supporters  when  Winfield  Scott 
Hancock  was  "  gathered  to  his  fathers." 


MAJOR  E.  W.  CLARK, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    VOLUNTEERS. 

1\ /TORE  than  twenty  years  ago  it  was  my  privi 
lege  to  be  a  member  of  General  Hancock's 
staff,    when    Morgan,    Mitchell,    King,    Bingham, 
Wilson     and    Parker,    with    others,    formed    the 


LE  TTRRS  AND  ADDRESSES.  285 

coterie  of  young  men  to  whom  he  confided  his 
principal  executive  work. 

If  I  recall  one  trait  of  Hancock's  character  more 
than  another,  I  would  name  his  conscientious 
devotion  to  details  and  his  thoroughness  in  the 
minutiae  of  affairs.  Nothing  seemed  too  trivial  to 
claim  his  consideration,  and  yet,  he  did  not  mag 
nify  the  minor  things  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
weightier  matters.  His  mind  seemed  happily 
formed  to  take  in  the  lesser  with  the  greater  ;  his 
eye  to  be  equipped  with  a  wonderful  sweep  for  the 
particulars  of  a  business. 

His  humanity  and  largeness  of  heart  also  impres 
sed  me  strongly.  I  remember  when  the  war  was 
over  and  the  conquered  Confederacy  lay  bleeding 
and  dumb  before  the  country,  all  its  activities  dead 
and  its  splendid  energies  paralyzed  in  the  face  of 
the  victor,  how  Hancock's  magnanimity  shone 
forth  ;  how  his  kindly  nature  met  with  tender  con 
sideration  the  fears  and  anxieties  of  the  widow  and 
the  orphan.  Once  the  papers  on  behalf  of  a 
woman's  claim  of  compensation,  for  crops  destroy 
ed  and  supplies  confiscated,  were  mislaid.  Then  he 
called  the  roll  of  the  staff,  and  no  one  was  permit 
ted  to  have  rest  while  the  rights  of  the  widow  of 
his  late  foe  were  held  in  abeyance. 

Hancock  was  at  that  period  in  the  fullest  devel 
opment  of  his  physical  manhood.  He  was  the 


286         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

very  embodiment  of  the  military  hero.  Of  mag 
nificent  form  and  stature  ;  in  demeanor  calm,  firm, 
resolute,  yet  courteous  ;  dignified,  yet  easy  ;  Hash 
ing",  brilliant,  grand,  yet  withal  manly,  simple, 
modest  ;  not  posturing  to  attract  the  public  gaze, 
yet  followed  by  every  eye  ;  moving  amidst  the 
throng  of  his  admirers,  conscious  only  of  his  duty, 
and  deeming  their  plaudits  but  the  approval  of  the 
cause  he  had  upheld  with  arms.  In  his  tolerance 
toward  his  enemies,  his  warmth  and  fidelity  to  his 
friends,  his  zeal  for  the  public  honor,  he  possessed 
all  the  elements  to  draw  to  himself  the  worship  of 
his  fellow-men.  Clad  in  the  panoply  of  a  noble 
life  and  splendid  achievements,  he  stands  enshrined 
in  my  memory  like  one  of  the  heroes  whose  deeds 
were  the  themes  of  the  older  poets. 

In  the  silent  and  solemn  parade  of  great  military 
heroes  whom  the  muffled  drums  upon  the  farther 
shore  are  marshaling  to  the  final  roll-call,  Han 
cock's  figure  is  one  of  the  noblest  ;  and  upon  this 
side,  where  await  for  yet  a  little  while  a  part  of 
"  the  innumerable  caravan  which  moves  to  the 
mysterious  realm,"  there  is  no  name  cherished  with 
affection  more  sincere,  none  wept  with  a  sorrow 
more  heart-felt. 

Ripe  in  wisdom  as  in  years,  bearing  with  him 
the  grateful  affection  of  a  mighty  people,  crowned 
with  willing  honors  by  his  country,  his  brow  had 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  287 

received  the  final  diadem,  and  he  but  waited  for 
the  silver  cord  to  be  loosed  ;  when  that  moment 
came  he  passed  to  the  silent  land 

"  Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 


CAPTAIN  W.  D.  W.  MILLER 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    VOLUNTEERS. 

TT  seems  but  as  yesterday  when  I,  a  young  vol 
unteer  officer  (after  the  wounding  of  General 
B.  Richardson,  on  whose  staff  I  was  then  serving), 
reported  to  General  Winfield  S.  Hancock  on  the  bat 
tle-field  at  Antietam  for  duty.  The  acquaintance 
made  under  such  peculiar  circumstances,  strength 
ened  by  years  of  service  with  him  as  one  of  his 
aides-de-camp,  has  ripened  with  passing  years  into 
a  strong  friendship,  and  his  death  has  left  a 
vacancy  in  my  life  which  can  never  be  filled  by 
another.  No  commander  more  fully  appreciated 
the  services  of  his  subordinates  than  General  Han 
cock  ;  none  more  generous  in  awarding  praise  when 
it  was  deserved,  yet  too  honest  to  bestow  it  when 
it  could  not  truthfully  be  given.  In  his  official 
report  he  never  forgot  the  good  conduct  of  the 


288         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

orderlies  attached  to  the  staff ;  none  were  over 
looked  or  forgotten.  General  Hancock  was  as  just 
as  he  was  generous  ;  "  with  malice  to  none,  "  he  was 
ever  willing  to  make  amends  when  satisfied  from 
sufficient  evidence  that  he  had  misjudged.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  industry,  marvelous  in  his 
attention  to  detail,  and  always,  as  far  as  possible, 
exercised  a  personal  supervision  over  his  own 
orders.  He  never  questioned  an  order,  and  with 
him  to  receive  an  order  was  to  obey  it ;  nor  did  he 
permit  any  delay  by  others  in  the  execution  of  his 
own  commands. 

General  Hancock's  loyalty  was  of  a  phenomenal 
type.  He  never  swerved  a  hair's  breadth  from  his 
sense  of  duty.  No  combination  of  circumstances, 
no  friendship,  ever  influenced  him  an  iota  or  chilled 
his  high  sense  of  obligation  to  his  country.  Let 
us  thank  God  for  so  loyal  a  friend,  so  loyal  a  citi 
zen,  so  loyal  a  soldier.  He  has  bequeathed  to 
his  family  as  well  as  to  the  Nation  an  heritage  of 
character  which  may  well  be  cherished  as  more 
precious  than  gold.  For  gold  perishes  ;  character 
is  eternal.  Permit  me,  in  closing,  to  apply  to  him 
his  own  words,  issued  in  General  Orders,  March, 
1863,  upon  the  receipt  of  the  information  of  the 
death  of  General  E.  V.  Sumner,  the  first  comman 
der  of  the  First  Division,  as  well  as  of  the  Second 
Corps,  viz. :  "  He  was  never  known  to  doubt. 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  289 

To  know  the  enemy  was  in  his  front,  was  for  him 
the  clarion-call  that  signalled  the  advance.  In  the 
last  fight,  only  the  omnipotent  God  conquered 
that  stern  soul.  Entering  the  Service  when  still 
young,  he  so  conducted  himself  by  a  strict,  inflex 
ible  adherence  to  his  duties  and  to  the  observance 
of  the  orders  of  his  military  superiors  that  he  won 
their  confidence,  and  thus  paved  the  way  for  the 
future  great  honors  heaped  upon  him.  He  was 
no  holiday  soldier  ;  stern  duty  had  its  pleasure  for 
him  in  a  clear  conscience.  He  never  failed  to  obey 
an  order.  He  was  never  too  late,  and  he  has  been 
rewarded  with  marked  honors  in  his  life,  and  an 
imperishable  name  in  history.  Imitate  his  example  ; 
and  in  paying  a  last  tribute  to  his  memory,  let  us 
invoke  the  name  of  our  Maker,  that  so  noble  a  spirit 
may  be  vouchsafed  a  happy  future."  Thus  spake 
a  soldier  of  a  soldier — fitting  words,  which  we  now 
re-echo  as  we  pay  this  tribute  to  our  departed  Chief 


BVT.  COLONEL  GEORGE  MEADE, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 

TT  is  with  extreme  regret  that  I  find  it  impossible 

to  be  present  at  the  meeting  of  the  Military 

Service  Institution,  to  add  my  tribute  of  respect 

to  the  memory  of  General  Hancock.     There  will, 


290 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 


however,  be  many  present  on  that  occasion  who, 
perhaps  better  than  I,  can  do  fitting  justice  to  the 
memory  of  the  deceased.  And  yet,  deeply  as  I 
feel  this,  still  more  deeply  do  I  feel  under  obliga 
tion  to  express,  in  such  terms  as,  however  unworthy 
of  the  theme,  I  may  be  able  to  command,  the  great 
respect — both  inherited  and  personally  acquired— 
in  which  I  always  held  the  character  of  General 
Hancock.  It  is,  then,  from  both  inherited  and 
acquired  liking  and  respect  for  General  Hancock, 
so  mingled  that  they  are  not  to  be  severed  in  my 
mind,  that  I  speak  reverentially  to  the  memory  of 
the  honored  dead. 

On  the  very  first  occasion  when  I  saw  General 
Hancock,  the  circumstance  is  so  intimately  asso 
ciated  with  General  Meade's  admiration  of  him, 
that  it  affords  the  most  fitting  introduction  to  this 
brief  mention.  The  scene  was  in  camp  in  1862, 
soon  after  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  where 
these  two  intrepid  soldiers,  each  at  the  head  of  his 
division,  had  gallantly  stormed  those  terrible  hills 
held  by  the  enemy — Hancock  on  the  right  at 
Marye's  Heights,  and  Meade  on  the  left  at  Hamil 
ton's  Cross-Roads.  I  was  standing  near  General 
Meade  when  General  Hancock  rode  up,  and,  after 
exchanging  cordial  greetings  with  General  Meade, 
and  lingering  for  a  few  moments  on  the  spot, 
dashed  away  at  full  speed.  His  bearing  was  so 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  2 9 1 

striking-  that  it  would  have  prompted  any  one 
ignorant  of  who  he  was,  to  inquire — and  I  well 
remember  the  hearty  intonation  of  voice  with 
wrhich  General  Meade  replied  to  my  question  : 
"  Why,  don't  you  know  who  that  is  ?  why,  that's 
Hancock."  These  were  truly  brothers-in-arms.  If 
in  the  future  that  lay  before  them,  in  the  gnawing 
anxieties  of  the  long-continued  civil  conflict,  their 
relations,  as  is  sometimes  unavoidable  in  such  vicis 
situdes  of  life,  ever  were  subject  to  strain,  I  feel 
sure  that  at  bottom  their  regard  for  each  other  as 
noble  spirits,  gallant  gentlemen  and  soldiers  suf 
fered  no  abatement.  At  least  I  can  answer  for 
General  Meade's,  and  I  think  that  we  all  would 
be  ready  to  swear  that  the  noble  nature  of  Han 
cock  would  not  have  permitted  his  to  have 
changed. 

This  leads  me  to  add,  in  the  subjoined  corre 
spondence,  that  which  is  illustrative  of  the  esteem 
in  which  these  soldiers  held  each  other,  and  which 
can  find  no  fitter  occasion  to  be  placed  perma 
nently  on  record.  In  the  winter  of  1863,  shortly 
after  the  Mine  Run  campaign,  it  was  intimated  to 
General  Meade  that  he  would  probably  be  relieved 
of  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
that  his  successor  might  be  General  Hancock.  At 
that  time  General  Hancock  was  in  Washington, 
still  off  duty  in  consequence  of  the  wound  that  he 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

had  received  at  Gettysburg.  In  a  letter  to  General 
Hancock,  dated  December  n,  1863,  in  reply  to 
one  from  General  Hancock  stating  that  he  had  not 
lost  confidence  in  him,  and  that  he  hoped  he  would 
not  be  relieved,  General  Meade  said  :  "  As  this 
army  is  at  present  organized,  and  as  its  commander 
is  now  regarded  and  treated  at  Washington,  its 
command  is  not  to  be  desired  by  any  reasonable 
man,  nor  can  it  be  exercised  with  any  justice  or 
satisfaction  to  yourself.  While,  therefore,  I  should 
be  glad  to  see  you  promoted  to  a  high  command, 
as  a  friend  and  well-wisher,  with  my  experience  I 
cannot  say  I  could  congratulate  you  if  you  succeed 
me.  *  *  *  I  shall  always  be  glad  to  see  you  and 
hear  of  your  success." 

To  this  letter  General  Hancock  replied  on 
December  21,  1863.  After  giving  the  current 
rumors  relative  to  the  command  of  the  army,  he 
said  :  "  I  am  no  aspirant,  and  I  never  could  be  a 
conspirator,  had  I  other  feelings  toward  you  than 
I  possess.  I  would  sooner  command  a  corps  un 
der  you  than  have  the  supreme  command.  I  have 
faith  in  you.  I  would  not  like  to  serve  under  a 
bad  commander.  I  would  rather  be  out  of 'com 
mand.  I  have  always  served  faithfully,  and  so  I 
intend  to  do.  I  would  always  prefer  a  good  man 
to  command  that  army  than  to  command  it  my 
self.  If  I  ever  command  it,  it  will  be  given  to  me 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSED.  293 

as  it  was  to  you.  I  shall  never  express  or  imply 
a  desire  to  command,  for  I  do  not  feel  it.  If  the 
command  was  put  upon  me,  I  suppose  I  would 
feel  and  act  as  you  did.  *  *  *  " 

It  is  the  remembrance  of  this  friendship,  main 
tained  at  a  period  when  it  meant  more  than  good 
feelings  in  ordinary  times  ;  it  is  faith  in  these  ex 
pressions,  drawn  forth  from  a  generous  nature, 
added  to  much  else  in  word  and  act — that  will 
always  ensure,  from  the  descendants  of  General 
Meade,  the  upholding  of  the  fair  fame  of  General 
Hancock. 


CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  H.  LAMBERT. 

LATE  UNITED  STATES  VOLUNTEERS. 

T  T  was  not  my  fortune  to  serve  under  General 
Hancock  during  the  war,  and  I  knew  him 
best  in  his  association  with  the  Military  Order  of 
the  Loyal  Legion,  whose  honor  it  \vas  to  have 
him  as  its  presiding  officer.  That  Order,  known 
to  most  of  you,  is  composed  of  officers  who  ser 
ved  ih  the  war,  and  seeks  to  enroll  as  members 
only  those  whose  reputation  as  officers  was  unsul 
lied,  and  who  alike,  in  War  and  Peace,  have 
approved  themselves  gentlemen.  The  Comman- 
clery  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  for  six  succes- 


294         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

sive  years,  selected  General  Hancock  to  be  its 
chief,  as  the  fittest  type  of  the  officer  and  gentle 
man  its  ranks  afforded. 

In  November  last  General  Hancock  revisited 
the  battle-field  of  Gettysburg  for  the  first  time  in 
twenty  years.  It  was  my  great  privilege  to  be 
one  of  his  company  on  that  occasion,  and  to 
traverse  with  him  the  ground  so  intimately  associ 
ated  with  his  fame,  and  to  learn  anew  what  history 
had  so  well  recorded,  how  large  a  part  he  bore  in 
the  mighty  drama  that  had  been  enacted  there. 
In  the  centre,  on  the  left,  and  on  the  right  his 
presence  was  felt ;  no  part  of  that  field  but  was 
impressed  by  his  valor  and  skill ;  and  if,  for  noth 
ing  else,  his  name  would  be  immortal  because  of 
what  he  was  and  what  he  did  during  those  three 
momentous  days. 

But,  as  has  already  been  said,  General  Hancock 
has  other  claims  to  renown  than  his  service  in  the 
war,  in  his  splendid  bearing  in  the  trying  years 
that  followed  ;  in  his  high  command  at  the  time 
when  the  nation  that  had  survived  four  years  of 
war  was  again  imperilled  ;  in  his  candidacy  for  the 
Presidency  ;  in  all  those  years  occupying  conspicu 
ous  and  responsible  station,  no  act,  no  word  of 
his,  can  be  pointed  to  incompatible  with  his  fame, 
his  patriotism  and  his  duty. 

Greater  opportunity  would  but  have  enhanced  his 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


295 


fame ;  equal  to  the  requirements  of  every  position 
he  attained,  he  would  have  fully  met  the  demands 
of  any  station  in  our  armies  or  in  the  gift  of  the 
American  people. 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  H.  MERRYMAN, 

UNITED  STATES  REVENUE  MARINE. 

T   AM  highly  honored  in  being  recognized  here 

as  a  personal  friend  of  General  Hancock. 
1  first  met  him  on  the  Pacific  coast  many  years 
ago,  and  well  remember  the  impression  made  upon 
my  mind  by  his  handsome  appearance  and  engag 
ing  manner.  It  was  long  afterward  when  the 
opportunity  came  for  a  closer  acqaintance.  In  the 
meanwhile  he  had  run  his  brilliant  career  in  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  his  name  and  fame  had 
been  sounded  by  the  voices,  or  had  dwelt  in  the 
thoughts,  of  millions  of  people.  It  was  not  my 
happy  lot  to  see  him  as  frequently  as  I  desired. 
But  I  recall  with  pleasure,  and  will  ever  cherish, 
those  rare  occasions  of  uninterrupted  conversation 
when  I  listened  to  his  pleasant  voice — always  soft 
and  low — in  unpremeditated  discourse  upon  vari 
ous  interesting  matters.  In  speaking  of  others  he 
always  seemed  to  regard  their  interests  even  more 


296         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

than  his  own,  and  to  view  all  matters  without 
partiality,  prejudice  or  self-seeking.  His  well- 
known  consideration  for  the  comfort  and  pleasure 
of  others  sprang  from  that  tenderness  which  be 
longed  to  his  chivalric  nature. 

From  his  own  lips  I  learned  how  warmly  he  was 
attached  to  his  friends,  and  how  he  loved  "all 
things,  both  great  and  small,"  "the  birds  of  the  air 
and  the  beasts  of  the  field,"  the  trees  and  flowers. 
Indeed,  he  was  a  most  lovable  gentleman,  a  true 
patriot,  and  the  bravest  of  the  brave. 


BVT.  BRIG.-GEN.  ALEXANDER  J.  PERRY, 

ASS'X  QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL,  U.  S.  A. 

T  FIND  myself  compelled,  by  the  summons  of  a 
civil  court  as  witness,  in  a  distant  city,  to  be 
absent  from  the  Meeting  of  the  Military  Service 
Institution,  to  be  held  on  the  25th  inst.,  as  a  testi 
monial  of  its  appreciation  of  the  character  of  Gen 
eral  Hancock,  his  services  to  the  country  and  to 
the  Military  Institution  ;  but  more  especially,  per 
haps,  to  bear  witness  to  the  sterling  qualities  of  his 
noble  nature. 

As  my  feelings  and  sentiments  are  in  most  per- 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


297 


feet  accord  with  the  object  of  the  meeting,  I  cannot 
refrain  from  expressing  to  you,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Institution,  my  very  great  regret  and  disappoint 
ment  in  being  prevented  from  joining — at  least  to 
the  extent  of  being  present — in  these  services  of 
friendship  and  admiration  which  your  meeting  is 
intended  to  emphasize. 


COLONEL  G.  NORMAN  LIEBER, 

ASS'T  JUDGE-ADVOCATE-GENERAL,  U.  S.  A. 

T  VERY  much  regret  that  I  shall  not  be  able 
to  attend  the  Meeting  of  the  Military  Service 
Institution  commemorative  of  Major-General  Han 
cock.  Although  for  the  last  few  years  my  duties 
have  taken  me  out  of  his  command,  my  long 
service  on  his  staff  (at  New  Orleans,  St.  Paul  and 
New  York),  and  the  fact  that  I  have  served  on 
no  other  general's  staff  since  serving  on  his,  have 
impressed  upon  me  the  feeling  that  I  have  never 
been  entirely  removed  from  the  sphere  of  his 
individuality.  For,  to  me,  as  it  must  have  been 
to  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him — his  indi 
viduality  has  always  been  most  impressive.  How 
many  men  are  governed  by  their  surroundings, 


298          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

and  accept,  without  much  question,  certainly  with 
out  deep  scrutiny,  other's  views  ?  How  many 
men,  for  instance,  are  slaves  to  the  newspapers 
which  they  read  !  But  General  Hancock  was,  as 
to  all  matters  depending  on  sound  judgment,  a 
judge  to  himself ;  always  willing  to  hear,  but 
never  to  be  led.  I  know  this  to  be  a  fact,  from 
experience  as  Judge-Advocate  on  his  staff. 

And,  having  satisfied  himself  as  to  the  cor 
rectness  of  a  conclusion,  he  was  consistent  in 
adhering  to  it,  in  the  face,  sometimes,  of  strong 
pressure  to  the  contrary.  His  views  on  ques 
tions  appertaining  to  the  administration  of  mili 
tary  justice  were  very  decided,  and  he  has  left 
an  impression  upon  that  branch  of  the  Service 
which  can  never  be  lost ;  most  of  it  having 
already  been  perpetuated  in  the  books. 

What  he  has  accomplished  in  other  fields  the 
country  knows.  What  I  wish  to  do  here — as 
one  knowing  whereof  he  speaks — is,  to  pay  this 
tribute  to  his  memory :  that  he  was  ever  an 
unswervingly  just  judge ;  never  hasty  to  con 
demn  ;  rigorously  impartial ;  strictly  consistent. 
If  there  could  be  any  doubt  as  to  the  wonder 
ful  impress  of  such  a  character  upon  the  disci 
pline  of  his  command,  statistics  present  infallible 
proof.  When  General  Hancock's  great  virtues 
are  enumerated,  let  this  one  not  be  forgotten. 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


299 


My  thoughts  will  be  with  you  on  the  25th, 
and  I  will  at  least  join  with  you  in  deep  sorrow 
for  the  loss  that  has  befallen  the  Nation ;  adding 
thereto  my  own  individual  grief  for  the  loss  of 
one  who  was  always  to  me  the  best  of  friends. 


MAJOR  ASA  BIRD  GARDINER, 

JUDGE-ADVOCATE,  U.  S.  A. 
*  *  #  #  *  # 

TV  /T  Y  long  service  with  Major-General  Hancock 
in  the  most  confidential  and  intimate  rela 
tions,  both  personal  and  official,  makes  me  realize 
keenly  the  loss  his  staff  and  the  Army  and  coun 
try  have  sustained  by  his  sudden  decease. 

I  am  persuaded  the  services  will  be  such  as  will 
do  honor  to  the  memory  of  so  good  a  soldier,  so 
kind  a  husband  and  father  and  so  sincere  a  friend. 


CAPTAIN  GEORGE  F.  PRICE, 

FIFTH  U.  S.  CAVALRY. 

T    REGRET  that  I  cannot  be  present  to  offer  my 
tribute  of  love  and  respect  to  the  memory  of 
a  man  who  was  one  of  our  most  illustrious  Ameri 
can  soldiers ;     but,  if  present,  not  anything  that 


3OO         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

I  could  say  would  add  in  any  degree  to  the  meas 
ure  of  his  well-earned  fame  ;  his  soldierly  achieve 
ments  are  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  Nation.  He 
was  a  fearless,  peerless  soldier  ;  a  superb  leader 
in  battle  ;  and  in  all  the  social  relations  of  life,  a 
genial,  accomplished  and  dignified  gentleman, 
loved,  admired  and  honored  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

"  So,  blessed  of  all,  he  died  ;  but  far  more  blessed  were  we 
If  we  were  sure  to  live  till  we  again  could  see 
A  man  as  great  in  War,  as  just  in  Peace,  as  he." 


COLONEL  G.  DOUGLAS  BREWERTON, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    ARMY. 
####4f#-5f# 

XT O  words  can  measure  the  infinite  loss  which 
the  Country,  the  Army,  and  our  Association 
has  sustained  in  this  sudden  promotion  of  our 
chief.  No  truer  gentleman  or  more  gallant  soldier 
ever  wore  the  uniform  of  the  Republic. 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  30! 

LIEUTENANT  WALTER  F.  HALLECK, 

UNITED    STATES   ARMY. 

T  T  is  simply  impossible  for  me  to  describe  my 
feelings  of  sorrow  upon  learning  of  the  death 
of  General  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  United  States 
Army,  and  the  beloved  President  of  the  Military 
Institution  of  the  United  States  since  its  organi 
zation.  I  learned  to  admire  him  years  ago,  and 
think  I  will  not  forget  his  kind  and  fatherly  ad 
vice  to  me,  when  I  was  probably  the  youngest 
company  commander  in  the  Volunteer  Service, 
and  for  a  time  in  charge  of  the  guard  placed 
over  the  conspirators  during  their  trial  for  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  His  humane 
instructions  regarding  the  treatment  of  the  prison 
ers  (for  it  was  by  his  order  that  they  were 
permitted  to  leave  their  cells  for  daily  exercise 
and  air  in  the  large  yard  of  the  old  District 
Penitentiary)  deeply  impressed  me. 

General  Hancock's  military  career  was  a  spot 
less  one,  crowned  by  respect  for  civil  law  and  love 
for  his  fellow-men,  without  stopping  to  question 
as  to  what  section  of  our  country  they  might  be 
from.  When  a  great  soldier,  with  unrestricted 
power  in  his  hands  to  oppress  his  countrymen, 


^>O2          REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

\J 

voluntarily  foregoes  the  chance  of  gratifying  am 
bition,  and  devotes  himself  to  the  duty  of  building 
up  the  liberties  and  strengthening  the  laws  of  his 
country,  he  presents  an  example  of  the  highest 
virtue  that  human  nature  is  capable  of  practising. 
Such  a  character  was  General  Hancock.  I  could 
in  no  better  manner  show  my  great  regard  for 
him  than  by  honoring  my  youngest  boy — now  a 
bright  little  fellow  of  four  years — with  his  name. 
From  my  knowledge  of  General  Hancock  I  shall 
always  think  of  him  as  the  poet  describes  the  true 
man  and  soldier  ; 

"  The  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  the  daring." 

He  loved  his  soldiers,  and  all  true  soldiers  will 
cherish  his  memory. 


BVT.-MAJOR  HARRY  C.  GUSHING, 

CAPTAIN    FOURTH    UNITED    STATES   ARTILLERY. 


r^  ENERAL  HANCOCK  was  a  typical  soldier, 
and  there  probably  has  never  been  in 
American  military  history  a  general  who  so  com 
pletely  realized  the  idea  of  a  perfect  corps  com 
mander.  What  he  might  have  accomplished  as 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  303 

an  army  commander  is  of  course  a  matter  of  con 
jecture,  as  he  never  was  tried.  In  the  sphere  in 
which  he  manifested  himself,  that  of  the  head  of 
a  great  subordinate  corps,  it  is  doubtful  if  he  had 
his  superior  in  any  army,  and  he  ranks  with  the 
greatest  of  Napoleon's  marshals.  Of  an  impressive 
personality,  a  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  he 
inspired  the  soldiers  under  him  with  the  most  un 
bounded  confidence.  His  military  judgment  was 
never  at  fault,  and  he  possessed,  like  Marshal 
Massena,  the  rare  faculty  of  growing  more  clear 
sighted  the  hotter  the  battle  raged.  In  addition  to 
exciting  the  admiration  of  those  he  led,  he  was 
warmly  loved  by  his  subordinates,  and  his  death 
will  be  a  cause  of  personal  grief  to  all  of  them. 
The  country  at  large  has  in  it  sustained  a  heavy 
loss,  for  such  men  are  not  lavished  on  an  epoch. 


COLONEL  SAMUEL  B.  LAWRENCE, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES   ARMY. 

IT  ANCOCK,  the  ideal  soldier,  was  remarkable 
in  the  group  of  illustrious  officers  of  our 
Army,  and  we  may  fairly  claim  for  him  qualities 
the  most  inspiring  in  the  field  and  the  most  attrac 
tive  in  civil  and  domestic  life. 


304         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

He  was  lavishly  equipped  by  nature  with  a 
handsome  figure  and  noble  presence,  and  a  gentle 
ness  so  sweet  and  winning  that  even  in  the  heat 
of  battle,  when  most  aroused,  his  soldiers  charged 
at  his  command  or  followed  his  gallant  lead,  fas 
cinated  by  his  chivalric  courtesy,  calmness  and 
dignity. 

Always  the  modest  hero,  never  claiming  prece 
dence,  accepting  with  diffidence  the  honors  thrust 
upon  him,  and  ever  watchful  for  the  rights  of 
fallen  foes,  he  never  gave  offense  nor  left  bitter 
memories.  His  charity  was  boundless  and  matched 
his  nobility.  No  appeal  from  the  humblest  ever 
went  unnoticed,  and  many  revere  his  name  and 
live  comforted  by  his  influence.  Knowing  him  in 
his  daily  life  was  an  experience  filled  with  pleasant 
revelations,  and  left  the  image  of  an  exalted  type 
of  man  worth  a  life  to  know  and  remember  as  a 
privilege. 

With  unblemished  record  he  has  entered  the 
Temple  of  Fame  and  won  the  reward — 

"  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart." 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  305 

GENERAL  CHARLES  A.  WHITTIER, 

LATE  UNITED  STATES  VOLUNTEERS. 
******* 

T  AM  sure  that  no  one  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  ever  lacked  confidence  in  him  ;  and, 
with  all  his  commands  and  battles,  can  a  higher 
compliment  be  paid  to  a  commander?  I  think 
that  every  day  since  his  death  I  have  heard  the 
phrase,  "  What  a  superb  soldier  Hancock  was  !" 


BVT.  LIEUT.-COL.  JOHN  P.  NICHOLSON, 

UNITED  STATES  VOLUNTEERS. 

TV/T  R.  CHAIRMAN  :  It  was  my  intention,  when 
I  responded  to  your  invitation,  to  have  said 
a  few  words  expressive  of  our  loss  in  the  gallant 
soldier  and  gentleman  whose  memorial  service 
calls  us  together,  but  my  heart  is  too  full  and  the 
touch  of  his  hand  too  recent  for  me  to  attempt  to 
add  any  words  to  the  deserved  eulogiums  that 
have  been  passed  upon  him  this  evening. 

But  if  I  were  to  single  out  some   one  incident 
connected  with  his  ever  great  career,  I  would  refer 


^O6         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S,  HANCOCK. 

\J 

to  his  arrival  upon  that  memorable,  historic  field 
with  which  his  name  is  for  ever  linked.  But  this 
has  been  done  by  one  of  Pennsylvania's  foremost 
soldiers,  and  one  to  whom  was  given  the  great 
honor  of  directing  the  opening  infantry  fire  at  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  Therefore,  if  the  letter  I  read 
to  you  is  personal,  I  know  that  you  will  pardon  me 
for  the  great  traits  of  character  of  the  noble  man 
that  it  depicts. 

[Colonel  Nicholson  then  read  the  following  let 
ter  from  Brigadier-General  J.  W.  Hofmann,  late 
Colonel  Fifty-sixth  Infantry,  Pennsylvania  Volun 
teers.] 

"  Knowing  the  close  personal  friendship  that 
existed  between  our  late  Commander,  General  W. 
S.  Hancock,  and  yourself,  I  regretted  very  much 
my  inability  to  hear  all  that  was  said  by  the  com 
panions  at  the  meeting  on  the  evening  of  the  i2th 
inst.,  when  we  were  convened  to  give  expression 
of  our  sense  of  the  loss  of  one  who  had  served  his 
country  so  well,  and  who  won  the  esteem  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  regardless  of  political  ties. 

"  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  added  a  few 
words  to  the  eloquent  remarks  that  fell  from  the 
lips  of  others,  but  there  were  occasions  when  their 
voices  were  allowed  to  fall  so  low  that  I  was  unable 
to  distinguish  their  words,  and  was  thus  admon 
ished  not  to  venture,  lest  my  feelings  might  carry 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  307 

me  over  ground  that  had  already  been,  and  in  fitter 
terms,  referred  to.  But  to  you,  individually,  my 
dear  Colonel,  it  will  not  matter  if  such  should  be 
the  case  when  I  now  state,  that  while  I  appreciate 
the  eloquent  manner  in  which  tribute  was  paid  to 
the  gallant  and  heroic  services  of  General  Hancock 
on  the  field  of  Gettysburg,  on  the  second  and  third 
days  of  the  battle,  nevertheless,  in  my  judgment, 
those  services,  grand  and  heroic  as  they  were, 
were  but  the  natural  sequence  of  his  noble  services 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  preceding  day. 

"  You  may  not  be  aware  of  it,  but  my  personal 
acquaintance  with  General  Hancock  dated  only 
from  the  day  when  he  assumed  command  of  the 
Loyal  Legion.  Serving  as  we  did  in  different 
corps,  and  for  over  a  year  in  the  early  part  of  the 
war  in  different  fields  of  operations,  it  came  about 
that  my  first  sight  of  Hancock  was  at  the  moment 
which  might,  perhaps  with  justice,  be  termed  the 
sublimest  moment  of  his  life.  It  was  at  the  mo 
ment  when,  clothed  by  Meade,  his  illustrious  chief, 
with  the  plenary  powers  with  which  he  himself 
had  been  vested  by  the  highest  authority  of  the 
Republic — powers  the  exercise  of  which  were  to 
place  him  in  antagonism  with  long-established 
precedent  and  universal  usage,  and  all  the  unpleas 
antness  and  difficulties  that  the  innovation  might 
involve :  it  was  under  these  circumstances  that  I 


308         REMINISCENCES  OF  W INFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

first  saw  Hancock,  a  moment  after  he  had  arrived 
upon  the  field  to  assume  command.  Not  the 
command  of  troops  in  serried  ranks  bidding  defi 
ance  to  an  advancing  foe,  but  the  command  of 
troops  that  had  made  an  heroic  fight,  and  had, 
nevertheless,  been  discomfited  and  were  now  retir 
ing  through  the  narrow  streets  of  the  town,  with 
all  the  disorganization  that  such  a  movement 
naturally  brought  with  it,  coupled  with  the  dispirit 
ing  influence  wrought  by  the  fact  that  the  field 
was  left  in  possession  of  the  successful  foe.  Such 
were  the  conditions  under  which  Hancock  assumed 
command.  Then  it  was  that  his  qualities  shone 
forth.  Grasping  at  once  the  scene  that  lay 
at  his  feet,  as  he  sat  upon  his  horse,  upon  the  crest 
of  Cemetery  Ridge — the  bold,  inviting  topography 
of  the  surrounding  country  that  had  failed  to  be 
fully  appreciated,  or,  if  appreciated,  failed  to  be 
fully  utilized — the  surging  mass — the  momentous 
issues  that  still  hinged  upon  the  outcome — all 
these  were  taken  in.  Then,  by  his  personal  direc 
tions,  and  bringing  to  bear  that  magnetic  influence 
possessed  only  by  those  whose  actions  on  fields  of 
battle  have  won  the  hearts  of  the  troops  whose 
lives  have  been  entrusted  to  their  keeping,  he 
proved  how  justly  his  chief  had  judged  of  his  fit 
ness  when  he  sent  him  forward  to  assume  com 
mand.  Now,  placing  confidence  in  the  well-dis- 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  309 

ciplined  troops,  and  resorting  to  that  self-reliance, 
the  factor  so  essential  to  success,  in  a  very  brief 
period  he  wrought  order  from  chaos,  then  estab 
lished  his  troops  on  those  lines  where,  on  the  suc 
ceeding  days,  they  inflicted  those  sanguinary 
repulses  upon  the  enemy — the  lines  that  thence 
forth  were  to  remain  unbroken — lines  that  will  be 
pointed  to  in  the  most  distant  future  as  marking 
symbolically  the  foundations  of  one  of  the  greatest 
advancements  of  enlightened  ideas,  of  freedom 
from  oppression,  an  epoch  marking  the  elevation 
of  the  human  race,  and  when  all  of  his  compeers 
in  the  prolonged  and  sanguinary  contest  shall  have 
again  joined  him,  posterity  will  point  to  those 
lines,  and  render  the  honors  justly  due  to  the  name 
of  the  heroic  Hancock." 

The  above  is  a  true  copy  from  General  Hof- 
mann's  letter. 


CAPTAIN  GREENLEAF  A.  GOODALE, 

TWENTY-THIRD  UNITED  STATES  INFANTRY. 

T3  ETURNING  to-day  from  leave  of  absence,  I 
find  your  invitation  to  attend  Meeting  of 
Institution  this  evening,  held  in  memory  of  that 
noble  commander,  our  beloved  Hancock.  It  would 
have  given  me  a  sad  pleasure  to  have  been  with 


310         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

you.  For  many  months  I  was  an  enlisted  man  in 
the  "  Sixth  Maine,"  in  the  brigade  which  was  Gen 
eral  Hancock's  first  command  in  the  late  war. 
And  certainly,  after  Williamsburg,  if  not  before, 
the  brigade  believed  that  whatever  General  Han 
cock  ordered  was  exactly  right.  I  don't  think  that 
feeling  dated  from  Williamsburg  either.  When 
he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  Richardson's 
division  (2)  of  the  Second  Corps,  we  felt  a  per 
sonal  loss. 

His  sudden  death  has  been  a  great  shock  to  the 
few  hundred  survivors  of  that  brigade. 


THE  HONORABLE  EGBERT  L,  VIELE,  M.  C., 

LATE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY. 

TT  was  impossible  to  know  Hancock,  even 
slightly,  without  becoming  his  personal  friend. 
His  frank  urbanity  captivated  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  I  knew  him  as  a  cadet — tall, 
lithe,  manly,  with  a  kind  word  and  genial  smile 
for  all.  He  was  as  well  known  to  one  class  as 
to  another.  In  fact,  the  characteristic  feature  of 
West  Point  life  is  that  all  the  classes  are  more  or 
less  assimilated.  Unlike  other  institutions  of 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  3 1 1 

learning,  where  the  Senior  may  never  know  the 
existence  of  a  Junior,  and  the  former  may  come 
and  go  without  ever  being  seen  by  the  latter,  the 
Cadet  Battalion  brings  all  classes  together  at  drill 
and  parade  ;  and  so  Hancock's  handsome  form 
and  soldierly  bearing  were  known  to  all,  and  all 
knew  him  to  be  what  he  always  was — a  brave  and 
loyal  soldier,  a  true  and  loyal  friend.  No  field- 
marshal  of  France,  in  the  palmiest  days  of  her 
military  glory,  ever  won  or  wore  greener  laurels 
than  Hancock,  "The  Superb."  But  it  was  in  the 
too  short  years  of  his  later  life  that  there  gathered 
about  him,  by  an  instinctive  impulse,  a  host  of 
loving  friends — friends  who  themselves  will  feel, 
until  the  hour  they  also  shall  pass  from  earth,  that 
they  have  lost  in  him  one  who  was  closer  than  a 
brother.  The  American  people  had  for  him  a 
sincere  and  unaffected  admiration  that  was  un 
doubtedly  greater  than  that  inspired  by  any  other 
soldier  of  the  war  ;  while  his  promptness  to  recog 
nize  the  supremacy  of  the  civil  power  in  the  admin 
istration  of  civil  affairs  will  never  be  forgotten, 
and,  in  times  to  come,  the  lovers  of  civil  liberty 
will  point  to  it  as  one  of  the  brightest  of  his  well- 
earned  laurels — a  man 


"  Who  never  sold  the  truth  to  serve  the  hour, 
Or  paltered  with  Eternal  God  for  power. ' ' 


3  I  2         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  EDWARD  L.MOLINEUX, 

NATIONAL  GUARD,  S.  N.  Y.,  LATE  U.  S.  V. 

T  REGRET  my  inability  to  attend  the  Memorial 
Service  this  evening. 

As  a  volunteer  officer,  I  cannot  speak  from  per 
sonal  knowledge  of  General  Hancock's  achieve 
ments  in  the  field.  But  like  many  others  who 
never  came  within  the  immediate  sphere  of  his 
influence  as  a  commander,  I  have  been  strongly 
impressed  with  his  unswerving  faith  in  the  fighting 
capacity  of  his  men. 

General  Hancock,  at  least,  never  despaired  of  the 
Republic,  even  in  the  darkest  hours  of  civil  strife. 
He  trusted,  with  the  strength  of  his  chivalrous 
and  generous  nature,  the  ability  of  the  American 
people  to  work  out  their  own  destiny  on  the  lines 
marked  out  for  them,  and  he  maintained  a  serene 
confidence  in  the  successful  issue  of  the  great 
struggle  in  which  he  bore  so  noble,  so  faithful,  a 
part. 

The  citizen-soldiery  of  the  State  of  New  York 
owe  him  a  debt  of  lasting  gratitude  for  his  unfail 
ing  readiness  to  lend  all  the  influence  he  possessed, 
to  promote  their  military  training  and  increase 
their  efficiency.  He  cordially  recognized  the  value 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  313 

of  the  National  Guard,  as  he  did  that  of  every 
movement  springing  from  and  sustained  by  the 
American  people. 

As  his  associate  in  the  Military  Order  of  the 
Loyal  Legion,  I  can  testify  to  his  solicitous  regard 
for  all  that  concerned  the  dignity  and  self-respect 
of  the  officer.  A  model  of  high-bred  courtesy, 
dignified  affability,  and  manly  sense  of  right  and 
justice,  he  presented  a  type  of  soldierly  character 
equally  fitted  to  inspire  attachment  and  command 
respect.  Hancock's  influence  was  a  restraint  and 
corrective  of  everything  mean  or  base.  It  will 
live  with  those  in  whom  his  noble  qualities  pro 
voked  imitation,  and  the  impression  of  his  frank 
and  sympathetic  nature  be  left  on  all  who  had  the 
privilege  of  knowing  him. 

His  name  will  live  in  history,  his  virtues  abide 
in  the  hearts  of  his  friends. 


BRIG.-GEN.  GEORGE  W.  WINGATE, 

LATE  NATIONAL  GUARD,  S.  N.  Y. 

IGH  as  was  the  estimation  in  which  General 
Hancock  was  held  by  all  classes  of  the  com 
munity,  it  could  not  surpass  the  respect  and  esteem 
that  was  entertained  for  him  by  the  National 


H 


314         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

Guard,  and  particularly  by  those  officers  and  men 
belonging  to  it  who  have  been  interested  in  rifle 
practice,  and  in  the  National  Rifle  Association. 

General  Hancock  was  always  interested  in  all 
that  concerned  the  welfare  of  the  National  Guard  ; 
and  those  seeking  to  advance  its  efficiency  ever 
found  in  him  a  wise  counsellor  and  a  warm  friend. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  to  see  the  importance  of 
rifle  shooting  and  the  military  value  of  Creedmoor, 
and  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  aid  both. 

The  "Hilton  trophy,"  which  has  been  so  often 
struggled  for  by  the  best  shots  of  the  Army  and 
of  the  National  Guard  will  always  be  a  monument 
to  his  memory,  for  it  was  obtained  through  his 
personal  application  to  Judge  Hilton. 

The  circumstances  under  which  he  became  Presi 
dent  of  the  National  Rifle  Association  showed  at 
once  the  interest  he  felt  in  the  institution,  and  his 
self-sacrificing  character.  The  State  administration 
had  been  inimical  to  rifle  shooting,  the  number  of 
riflemen  had  decreased,  and  the  prospects  of  the 
Association  were  gloomy. 

General  Hancock  had  been  that  year  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  and  was 
one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  country.  We  went 
to  him,  stated  the  situation,  and  assured  him  that 
if  he  would  become  the  head  of  the  National  Rifle 
Association  it  would  be  of  incalculable  service  to 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  3  1 5 

it.  With  characteristic  chivalry  he  said  that  if  the 
Association  was  prosperous  he  would  not  think  of 
accepting,  but  if  it  was  not,  and  really  needed  his 
help,  he  was  at  its  service.  He  was  elected,  and 
for  a  year  faithfully  fulfilled  the  duties  of  its 
President,  and  by  so  doing  enabled  it  to  extricate 
itself  from  its  precarious  position. 

This  service  was  one  which  I,  for  one,  shall 
never  forget.  But  it  was  but  one  of  many  for 
which  the  National  Guard  and  the  National  Rifle 
Association  will  long  revere  the  memory  of  Win- 
field  S.  Hancock. 


BRIG.-GEN.  HORATIO  C.  KING, 

LATE    NATIONAL   GUARD,    S.    N.    Y. 

T  CAN  add  but  a  few  words  to  the  universal 
tribute  of  respect  for  the  noble  man  and  brill 
iant  soldier  who  has  so  suddenly  passed  away. 
Few  public  men  held  so  deep  a  place  in  the  affec 
tions  of  the  whole  people.  As  I  have  already  said, 
in  substance,  on  another  occasion,  he  was  in  the 
highest  degree  one  of  nature's  noblemen — a  mag 
nificent  type  of  that  substantial,  uninherited 
American  aristocracy  which,  on  the  field  of  battle 
as  well  as  in  times  of  peace,  has  won  the  respect  of 


3  1 6         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

the  whole  world.  He  is  a  grand  exponent  of  the 
possibilities  open  to  every  boy  in  the  land,  no 
matter  how  humble  his  origin.  Like  the  great 
chieftain  for  whom  he  was  named,  he  was  magni 
ficent  in  stature,  soldierly  in  carriage,  a  typical 
commander  of  men  ;  as  prompt  to  obey  as  he  was 
exacting  in  obedience  to  his  orders. 

Devoid  of  personal  fear,  he  dared  to  follow 
where  any  one  would  lead  on — to  lead  where  any 
one  would  follow,  even  to  the  very  gates  of  death. 
Genial  in  manner,  courteous,  and  of  unswerving 
loyalty  and  integrity,  he  will  ever  linger  in  my 
memory  as  one  of  the  first  gentlemen  of  America. 

Of  the  widespread  feeling  of  personal  grief  at 
his  death,  let  me  speak  a  moment.  I  reached  Cin 
cinnati  in  the  evening  of  February  9,  just  after 
the  sad  announcement  had  been  flashed  over  the 
wires.  I  went  to  attend  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Ohio  Commandery  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  to  which 
hundreds  had  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the 
country.  Extensive  preparations  had  been  made, 
but  the  solemn  sadness  which  affected  all,  preclud 
ed  a  general  festivity,  and  the  occasion  was 
adapted  to  the  common  feeling,  and  Hancock's 
name  was  on  every  lip. 

In  the  difficult  and  trying  positions  occupied  by 
General  Hancock  in  the  South  after  the  war — 
during  the  period  of  reconstruction,  when  party 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  317 

spirit  ran  high — he  so  conducted  the  delicate  duties 
of  his  office  as  to  assuage  the  passion  and  to  com 
mand  the  respect  and  approval  of  men  of  all  shades 
of  political  opinion.  It  was  not  surprising,  then, 
that  later  on  the  Democratic  party,  with  singular 
unanimity,  fixed  upon  him  as  their  leader  in  the 
Presidential  contest  in  1880.  I  cannot  recall  a  no 
mination  which  was  received  with  greater  satisfac 
tion  than  his ;  and,  had  the  question  been  at  once 
submitted  to  the  people,  I  believe  he  would  have 
been  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority.  So 
pure  was  his  personal  and  official  record  that  no 
one  dared  to  attack  it,  and  the  weapons  used  by 
his  opponents  were  those  of  ridicule  based  upon 
words  which  he  never  uttered.  *  *  *  The 
manner  with  which  he  bore  his  defeat  was  charac 
teristic  of  the  man,  and  for  months  after  the  result 
was  announced,  he  declined  to  accept  invitations 
to  public  ceremonies,  banquets,  and  the  like,  lest 
it  might  be  inferred  he  desired  to  pose  as  a  martyr. 
He  was  throughout  the  campaign  and  afterwards 
the  same  frank,  straightforward,  earnest,  honest, 
courageous,  and  imperturbable  hero  and  citizen. 

One  by  one  the  grand  figures  of  the  greatest 
war  of  modern  times  are  passing  away,  but  their 
deeds  will  be  remembered  for  ever  by  a  grateful 
people.  Hancock — the  superb,  patriot,  hero  and 
gentleman — we  salute  thee !  Hail,  and  farewell ! 


^>  1 8         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 
«j 

I  was  proud  to  count  the  deceased  hero  and 
patriot  among  rrrr  most  honored  and  esteemed 
friends. 


ANTHONY  J.  DREXEL,  ESQ., 

OF    PHILADELPHIA. 

T  HAVE  received  the  invitation  to  be  present  at 
the  Meeting  to  be  held  on  Thursday  next  at  the 
rooms  of  the  Military  Service  Institution  in  honor 
of  General  Hancock. 

I  regret  very  much  that  it  will  be  impossible  for 
me  to  attend  ;  otherwise  I  would  gladly  embrace 
the  opportunity,  thus  offered,  to  testify  my  appre 
ciation  of  the  character  of  the  great  soldier  and 
irreproachable  gentleman  whose  loss  we  now  mourn. 


THE  HON.  GEO.  PEABODY  WETMORE, 

GOVERNOR    OF    RHODE    ISLAND. 

*  #  #  #  -5f  -5f  -3f 

T  NEVER  met  him  without  being  impressed  by 
his  noble  nature.  I  can  never  forget  his 
equanimity  and  his  generous  bearing,  as  well  as 
the  enthusiasm  it  occasioned  at  Garfield's  inau 
guration  in  1 88 1. 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  3  I  g 

JOSEPH  W,  DREXEL,  ESQ., 

OF    NEW   YORK. 

T  REGRET,  exceedingly,  my  inability  to  be 
present  at  the  Meeting  of  the  Council  of  the 
Military  Service  Institution  to-morrow  ;  nothing 
that  will  there  be  said  but  will  find  an  echo  in  my 
heart  when  I  shall  read  that  which  it  is  not  in 
my  power  to  hear. 

The  history  of  General  Hancock  is  his  noblest 
monument  ;  his  modest,  unassuming  bearing,  his 
honesty  of  purpose,  his  purity  of  mind,  all  marked 
him  as  a  man  among  men. 

Of  no  one  can  it  better  be  said  : 

"  None  knew  him  but  to  love  him, 
None  named  him  save  to  praise.  " 

I  deeply  sympathize  with  the  Institution  in  its 
great  loss. 

THE  HONORABLE  JOHN  R.  BRADY, 

OF    NEW   YORK. 

T  T  would  be  presumptuous  in  me,  in  this  assembly 
of  veterans,  to  expatiate  even  briefly  upon  the 
military  prowess  of  General  Hancock,  but  it  can 
not  be  unbecoming  to  express  my  appreciation  of 


320         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

the  great  service  he  rendered  to  the  Nation  by  his 
efforts  to  preserve  and  to  perpetuate  it  one  and 
indivisible.  From  the  citizen's  standpoint  this 
thought  must  ever  keep  his  memory  fresh  and 
green,  as  it  should  the  memory  of  every  man  who 
in  the  hour  of  peril  stepped  to  the  front  pro  pair  ia. 
"  With  malice  toward  none  and  with  charity  for 
all,  "  I  cannot,  if  I  would,  reject  the  deep  sense  of 
gratitude  I  feel  for  all  these  champions — these 
defenders  of  that  flag  which  was  designed  to  float, 
and  will  float  for  ever,  over  a  brotherhood  of  States, 
united  irrevocably  by  a  compact  which  shall  never 
be  broken. 

His  death  was  an  event  most  unexpected,  and 
created  a  profound  sensation.  Indeed,  there  are 
few  men  whose  sudden  demise  would  be  more 
sorrowfully  felt.  His  splendid  physique,  giving 
him  a  commanding  presence,  seemed  the  embodi 
ment  of  life — the  very  antithesis  of  death — so 
impressive  that  none  thought  of  his  going  out 
upon  the  dark  waters  when  "  Peace  was  tinkling 
from  the  shepherd's  bells. "  For  such  men  we 
have  no  thought  but  of  life,  no  suggestion  of  a  last 
resting-place  ;  and  when  the  blow  came — knowing 
nothing  of  his  illness — I  was  indeed  surprised  and 
grieved,  in  common  with  multitudes  of  my  fellow- 
citizens  who  loved  him. 

I   knew   the   General   well.     My   acquaintance 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  3  2 1 

with  him  began  and  continued  under  most  agree 
able  social  realizations.  There  was  a  charm  about 
him  which  was  distinguishing  and  captivating. 
We  sometimes  discover  in  the  social  realm  persons 
whose  coming  exalts  the  occasion  in  which  they 
are  to  take  part,  and  who  unconsciously,  by  what 
occult  power  I  know  not,  affect  most  agreeably 
those  into  whose  presence  they  are  ushered.  I 
think  General  Hancock  possessed  this  attribute. 
His  dignity,  which  was  most  impressive,  had  for 
its  ally  a  charming  bonhomie  born  of  high  -breed 
ing,  culture  and  a  varied  experience.  And  these 
elements  were  so  blended,  and  yet  so  distinctive, 
that  the  soldier  was  never  lost  in  the  contempla 
tion  of  the  man,  and  you  felt,  even  at  the  festive 
board,  notwithstanding  his  genial  and  attractive 
manner,  that  the  beaded  bubbles  winking  at  the 
brim,  which  for  the  moment  engaged  his  attention, 
could  be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  into 
the  din  of  battle  if  the  occasion  should  arise — out 
of  the  glare  of  the  banquet  the  soldier  could  step, 
cool,  collected,  prepared.  This  rare  combination 
always  presented  itself  to  me,  whether  I  met  him 
accidentally  or  by  design  ;  and  no  matter  how 
jocular  or  sedate  our  conversation  might  be,  I  felt 
that  I  was  talking  to  a  dignified  soldier — one  born 
to  command,  conscious  of  his  responsibilities,  and 
ready  to  assume  them  at  a  moment's  notice.  Thus 


322         REMINISCENCES  OF  WIN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

the  man  and  the  officer — the  commanding  general 
and  the  clever  man  of  the  world,  hearty  of  speech, 
cheery  in  manner,  kindly,  benevolent  and  appre 
ciative — marched  along  life's  way  hand  and  hand 
together,  faithful  and  true.  I  recognized  in  him 
the  gentleman  by  instinct  whom  the  rigor  of  mili 
tary  discipline  did  not  subvert — the  ruler  without 
presumption,  the  soldier  without  bravado,  the 
patriot  without  fanaticism.  And  I  recall  him  as 
one  who  has  contributed  not  only  to  the  pleasure 
of  my  own  life,  but  given  to  the  American  youth 
an  illustration  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by 
honorable  bearing,  by  patriotic  devotion,  by  a 
faithful  discharge  of  duty. 


COLONEL  JOHN  HAY, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    VOLUNTEERS. 

T  REGRET  sincerely  that  it  will  not  be  in  my 
power  to  attend  the  Meeting  on  the  25th  which 
is  called  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  General 
Hancock.  No  soldier  in  all  our  history  has  better 
earned  the  love  and  the  gratitude  of  the  Republic. 
His  bright  example  of  valor  and  devotion  to  duty 
should  not  be  permitted  to  fade  from  the  memory 


LE TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  ^2-\ 

\j    \j 

of  his  fellow-citizens.  It  belongs  to  those  who 
served  with  him,  and  who  witnessed,  on  so  many 
glorious  fields,  his  splendid  courage,  his  coolness 
and  fertility  of  resource  in  trying  emergencies, 
the  high  and  joyous  spirit  with  which  he  inspired 
his  troops  in  the  midst  of  danger  and  death — to 
draw  for  the  benefit  of  coming  generations  of 
Americans  a  correct  portrait  of  this  incomparable 
soldier.  The  young  officers  of  the  future  need 
desire  no  better  model  to  fashion  themselves  upon 
than  that  presented  in  the  character  and  life  of 
General  Hancock. 


REVEREND  EDWARD  H.  C.  GOODWIN, 

GOVERNOR'S  ISLAND,  N.  Y.  H. 

T  THINK  I  cannot  add  to  the  eloquent  tributes 
paid  to  General  Hancock  by  those  familiar 
with  his  military  career,  to  which  we  have  been 
listening  ;  but  I  am  glad  to  have  the  opportunity 
of  saying  a  word  or  two  about  him  on  points 
that  have  not  been  touched  upon  by  any  of 
those  who  preceded  me. 

In  the  first  place,  of  his  equanimity  under  good 
and  ill  fortune.  My  acquaintance  with  him  began 
not  very  long  before  the  opening  of  the  Presi- 


324         REMINISCENCES  OFWINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK, 

dential  campaign  in  which  he  had  so  much  at 
stake.  I  saw  him  almost  daily,  while  the  prospect 
of  success  brightened,  until  it  seemed  as  if  he  had 
only  to  put  forth  his  hand  to  take  the  highest 
prize  this  world  can  offer,  and  afterward,  in  the 
revulsion  from  this  exalted  hope  to  the  certainty 
of  defeat,  and  throughout  he  displayed  that  essen 
tial  element  of  true  greatness,  perfect  equanimity. 

As  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  Peace,  I  have, 
perhaps,  been  brought  into  contact  with  General 
Hancock  in  a  way  different  from  others  who  have 
spoken.  During  the  time  that  he  was  in  command 
on  Governor's  Island,  I  had  often  to  appeal  to  him 
in  cases  of  distress — cases  in  which  a  clergyman 
might  appeal  in  behalf  of  others — and  I  can  say 
that  never  did  I  appeal  to  him  without  enlisting 
his  sympathies  ;  never  once  without  securing,  if  it 
were  possible  to  give  it,  his  aid. 

By  the  general  consent  of  you  who  are  so  much 
better  qualified  to  form  an  opinion  upon  that  sub 
ject  than  I  am,  no  name  of  those  made  honor 
able  by  the  late  war  stands  higher  than  that  of 
General  Hancock.  But  Peace  has  her  honors  not 
less  great,  perhaps  more  enduring,  than  War.  I 
look  back  into  the  past,  and  see  a  single  act  of 
generosity  on  the  battle-field,  remembered  far 
above  all  else,  that  enrolled  the  name  of  Philip 
Sidney ;  and  so,  I  think,  it  will  be  with  General 


LE  TTERS  A  ND  ADDRESSES.  325 

Hancock.  I  believe  that  the  fullest,  truest,  most 
fitting  eulogy  of  General  Hancock  is  not  spoken 
here  to-night  in  this  little  gathering — this  handful 
of  his  military  companions,  his  personal  friends, 
his  equals — but  that  in  the  homes  and  hearts  of 
thousands  all  over  this  honored  land,  the  remem 
brance  of  kind  words  and  generous  acts  will  keep 
his  memory  green  when  his  military  fame  shall 
have  faded. 


GEORGE  SMALL,  ESQ., 

OF    BALTIMORE. 

T  KNOW  nothing  of  the  public  career  of  General 
Hancock,  except  what  is  history  already.  For 
more  than  twenty  years,  however,  it  was  my 
fortune  to  be  honored  by  his  friendship,  and  I  can 
not  forego  the  opportunity  of  offering  an  humble 
tribute  to  the  qualities  which  graced  his  private 
life  and  made  men  love  him.  My  personal  recol 
lections  of  our  intercourse,  delightful  as  they  are  to 
me,  are  mainly  of  the  sort  which  a  man  had  rather 
cherish  as  his  own  than  share  even  with  his  friends. 
I  will  only  say,  therefore,  what  I  can  say  with 
truth  and  knowledge,  that  the  side  of  his  character 


326         REMINISCENCES  OF  IV IN  FIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

which  the  world  saw  least  of,  was  a  noble  and  fit 
ting  counterpart  of  those  heroic  traits  which  won 
the  admiration  of  his  countrymen,  and  shine  in  his 
renown. 


THE  HONORABLE  BENJAMIN  H.  FIELD, 

OF    NEW    YORK. 

T  REGRET  that  my  more  than  threescore  years 
and  ten,  as  well  as  a  severe  cold,  will  prevent 
my  acceptance  of  your  invitation  to  hear  the  paper 
of  General  W.  F.  Smith  (late  of  the  United  States 
Army)  upon  the  life  and  services  of  Major-General 
Winfield  Scott  Hancock,  but  I  shall  be  with  you  in 
spirit. 

Major-General  Hancock  followed  closely  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  immortal  Washington.  He  was 
the  statesman,  the  soldier,  the  patriot,  the  Christian, 
and  the  lover  of  all  mankind.  In  the  language  of 
Halleck : 

"  None  knew  thee  but  to  love  thee, 
Nor  named  thee  but  to  praise." 

A  bronze  bust  of  him  should  be  in  every  histo 
rical  society,  every  public  and  private  library, 
throughout  the  land  he  loved  so  dearly  and  served 
so  long  and  well 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  327 

THE  HON.  EDWARD  S.  BRAGG,  M.  C., 

CHAIRMAN    MILITARY    COMMITTEE. 

T  HASTEN  to  acknowledge  your  letter  as  soon 
as  I  have  discovered  it,  although  too  late  for 
practical  purposes,  in  order  that  you  may  see  that 
I  did  not  allow  to  pass  coldly  by,  unnoticed,  a 
meeting  in  honor  of  one  of  the  men  whom  I  re 
spected  most  highly,  both  for  his  military  and  civic 
services. 


THOMAS  B.  MUSGRAVE,  ESQ., 

OF    NEW    YORK. 

OOME  few  years  ago  General  Hancock  visited 
me  at  Mt.  Desert.  In  the  early  morning  fol 
lowing  his  arrival,  his  old  orderly,  who  had 
walked  twenty-five  miles  in  the  night,  rapped  on 
my  cottage  door  and  asked  if  General  Hancock 
was  within.  I  replied  that  he  was.  He  said  :  "  Tell 
the  General  that  Malone  is  here."  After  talking 
over  with  him  the  many  incidents  of  battles,  from 
Yorktown  to  Gettysburg,  the  old  soldier  bade  him 
good-by.  General  Hancock  said  in  parting,  and, 


328         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

I  thought,  with  a  little  sadness  :  "  Malone,  since 
those  war  days  we  old  soldiers  have  little  influence 
and  little  money,  but  here  is  my  walking-stick. 
God  bless  you !  I  am  glad  you  have  got  a  home." 
No  one  could  but  be  impressed  with  his  great, 
kindly  nature  as  he  addressed  him. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  I  ever  heard  General 
Hancock  speak  of  the  incidents  of  the  war ;  the 
last  was  when,  a  little  more  than  three  months 
since,  I  revisited  Gettysburg  with  him  and  his  staff. 
In  the  kind  letter  of  invitation  he  sent  me,  he  said  ; 
"  Bring  your  little  boy,  Percy,  with  you  ;  it  will  be 
of  interest  to  him."  And  it  was  of  great  interest 
to  all  of  us — our  wandering  over  that' field,  and  his 
recital  of  what  took  place  on  the  day  of  the  battle. 

In  returning  home  he  said  to  me  :  "  Your  boy 
will  remember  what  has  been  said  when  we  have 
passed  away." 

Now  I  have  read,  upon  an  urn  that  contained 
the  heart  of  one  of  the  great  men  of  France,  this 
inscription  :  "  His  heart  is  here,  his  soul  is  every 
where.  "  And  so  it  will  always  be  of  General  Han 
cock  ;  the  motives  and  the  kindly  impulses  of  his 
heart  will  always  dwell  with  the  members  of  the 
Institution  at  Governor's  Island,  but  his  soul  will 
be  everywhere  in  this  land  in  its  influences  for  love 
of  country  and  chivalric  bravery.  But  it  has 
always  seemed  to  me  that  the  most  fitting  tribute 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


329 


that  can  be  paid  to  his  memory,  is  in  words  ex 
pressed  by  Abraham  Lincoln  upon  the  battle-field 
of  Gettysburg  :  "  The  brave  men,  living  and  dead, 
who  struggled  here,  have  consecrated  this  field 
(and,  I  will  add,  themselves)  far  above  our  power 
to  add  or  detract,  and  while  the  world  will  little 
note  nor  long  remember  what  we  say  here,  it 
can  never  forget  what  they  did."  Our  words  will 
soon  be  forgotten,  but  the  fame  of  Gettysburg  and 
General  Hancock  is  imperishable. 


WILLIAM  H.  FENDER,  ESQ., 

MURPHYVILLE,    TEXAS. 
******* 

ENERAL  HANCOCK  was  the  noblest,  pur 
est,  and  best  of  them  all. 


THE  HONORABLE  DANIEL  D.   WHITNEY, 

MAYOR    OF    BROOKLYN. 

r  I  ^HERE  is  no  necessity  of   expressing,  anew, 

the  depth  of  sorrow  we  all  feel  at  the  loss 

of  the  heroic  soldier  who  for  so  many  years  lived 


330         REMINISCENCES  OP  WINHELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

within  what  may    be    called  an  integral  portion 
of  the  city  of  Brooklyn. 

Winfield  Scott  Hancock's  glory  is  a  part  of  the 
history  of  the  Nation,  and  his  virtues  are  inscribed 
imperishably  in  the  affections  of  those  who  revere 
the  grand  sacrifices  the  old  veterans  made  for  an 
undivided  country. 


THE  REVEREND  JOHN  R.  PAXTON,  D,  D., 

OF    NEW   YORK. 

HPHEY  buried,  yesterday,  my  old  commander— 
the  ideal  soldier — the  pure  patriot — the  no 
blest  man — the  stainless  name — gentle  as  a  woman, 
with  a  voice  low  and  caressing  as  Love,  in  the 
camp  and  at  the  fireside,  but  heroic  as  Cid,  and  with 
a  voice  of  thunder  in  the  battle,  to  inspire  and  com 
mand.  And  I  shall  see  his  face  no  more.  But 
while  life  lasts  he  will  live  in  my  memory,  admir 
ation  and  love,  as  the  grandest  figure  I  ever  saw. 
"  I  once  saw  Washington,"  said  Chateaubriand, 
"  but  that  once  was  enough.  The  sight  inspired 
me  for  life."  For  three  years  I  followed  him — 
from  Fredericksburg  to  Appomattox — my  hero, 
lofty  and  superb.  My  heart  is  sad  to-day.  The 
world  is  emptied,  the  country  poorer  in  patriots, 


LE  TTERS  AND  ADDRESSES.  3  3  i 

but  richer  in  treasured  memories  and  immortal 
names.  Glorious  Hancock  —  countryman — com 
rade  in  arms  !  I  see  you  now  at  Gettysburg,  thrill 
ing  me  with  the  accents  of  command.  I  see  you 
in  the  Wilderness,  inspiring  me  with  your  daunt 
less  courage.  -  My  romance — my  here — my  leader 
—loved  with  a  love  passing  that  of  woman — fare 
well  !  God  rest  his  soul !  And  on  his  tombstone 
write, "He  did  what  he  could"  for  his  country, 
his  God  and  truth.  And  he  died  poor,  but  left  to 
his  country  a  stainless  name,  an  unblotted  record, 
an  immortal  memory. 


ALFRED  TRUMBLE,  ESQ., 

OF    NEW   YORK. 

TT  is  a  misfortune  of  the  professional  soldier  in 
this  country  to  be  a  man  apart.  The  absence 
of  those  continually  recurring  opportunities  for  the 
exercise  of  his  genius  and  his  valor,  which  are 
afforded  by  the  foreign  complications  and  the  col 
onial  wars  of  England  and  France,  renders  him  a 
shadowy  figure  to  the  selfish  and  hurrying  crowd. 
The  people  know  that  he  exists,  but  where  or  how 
is  a  question  of  small  moment  to  them.  Experience 
has  demonstrated  that  he  will  be  found  at  his  post 


*>  ->  2         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 
\j  «~> 

when  the  emergency  for  which  he  exists  arrives, 
and  that  is  enough  for  them. 

The  vehicles  for  publicity  afforded  by  the  press 
to  the  pettiest  politicians  are  denied  the  w^arrior 
who  fights  the  battles  of  which  they  reap  the 
peaceful  victories.  The  pygmy  dictator  of  a  city 
ward,  who  never  loses  an  opportunity  for  beating 
his  own  penny  drum,  is  a  more  momentous  person 
age  in  the  vulgar  eye  than  the  Great  Captain 
whom  the  thunder  of  cannon  heralds  to  victory- 
until  the  cannon  give  voice.  They  have  been 
silent  with  us  so  long  that  the  Great  Captain  who 
has  just  answered  the  last  roll-call,  passed  over  to 
the  army  of  phantoms  little  more  than  a  phantom 
himself  to  the  throng  whom  his  strong  arm  had 
been  reached  out  to  guard. 

To  those  who  knew  him,  or  whose  fortune  it 
was  to  come  in  personal  contact  with  him,  how 
ever,  General  Winfield  Scott  Hancock  was  the 
type  and  flower  of  the  American  soldier.  The 
dignity  of  command  sat  perfectly  upon  him,  for 
the  simplicity  and  sincerity  of  his  nature  robbed  it 
of  arrogance  and  gave  it  a  grace  that  was  all  his 
own.  His  majestic  presence  and  his  stately  car 
riage  were  as  much  a  part  of  the  man  as  of  the 
soldier,  and  they  bore  the  livery  of  the  nation  he 
gave  grandeur  to  with  the  unaffected  and  uncon 
scious  naturalness  of  a  man  to  whom  it  belonged 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 

by  right  of  birth.  It  fitted  him,  it  was  as  integral 
a  part  of  him  as  his  lofty  soul,  which  no  stain 
could  touch,  as  his  brave  and  generous  heart, 
which  beat  for  his  country,  and  for  his  country 
men  and  his  loved  ones,  before  it  throbbed  for 
himself.  If  such  a  man  had  passed  away  in  a  civic 
office,  as  a  great  citizen  and  a  leader  of  citizens  in 
the  battle  of  the  polls,  he  would  have  left  behind 
him  a  life  all  naked  and  bristling  with  interest  to 
the  public  eye.  Departing  as  a  soldier  and  a  leader 
of  soldiers,  whose  later  career  had  been  obscured 
by  the  placid  platitudes  of  Peace,  his  fame  had 
become  a  charge  of  the  public  memory,  never, 
alas !  too  grateful  when  gratitude  is  not  made  a 
national  obligation. 

In  his  profession,  however,  his  fame  remains  for 
all  time  a  blazing  beacon  light  to  guide  the  newer 
comers,  in  the  path  he  trod,  to  future  conquest 
over  themselves  and  others.  A  great  French  states 
man  once  said  :  "  It  is  as  much  what  the  example 
of  a  great  man  does  for  posterity  as  what  he  does 
for  the  present,  that  renders  him  a  blessing  or  a 
curse."  The  flash  of  the  unsullied  sword  that  the 
hand  of  death  has  grasped  will  light  the  pages  of 
history,  and  gleam  with  an  inspiring  fire,  in  the 
great  wars  which  must  inevitably  come  to  us  when 
we  grow  arrogant  with  the  prosperity  won  for  us 
by  the  great  wars  that  have  been.  The  hand  that 


334         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

wielded  it  so  well  has  relaxed  its  grasp  upon  the 
hilt,  worn  by  long  and  honorable  service  ;  it  has 
passed  into  the  grip  of  a  conqueror  who  wins  all 
his  battles,  and  who  may  break  the  tarnished  and 
worthless  sceptre  of  the  tyrant,  but  whose  might 
is  powerless  to  shatter  the  stainless  brand  of  the 
hero. 

The  puppets  of  power,  creatures  of  clay  pranked 
out  with  the  baubles  of  hollow  magnificence,  fall 
to  dust  and  are  whirled  by  the  strong  blast  of 
storms  into  oblivion.  They  were  by  the  acts  of 
others  ;  they  cease  to  be  when  the  hands  which  up 
held  them  are  removed.  But  the  man  and  the 
hero  stands  immovable,  a  monument  to  himself 
through  all  the  ages.  It  is  the  most  perishable 
part  of  Winfield  Scott  Hancock  that  the  death 
drums  have  led  upon  its  last  march  :  that  which 
remains  is  what  nor  Death  nor  Time  can  assail— 
his  name  and  his  fame. 


LIEUT.-GEN.  CHARLES  P.  STONE, 

LATE    CHIEF    OF    STAFF,    EGYPTIAN    ARMY. 

DO  not  presume,  in  five  minutes  in  speaking 

of   General   Hancock,    to   do  him  justice.     I 

knew  him    from    1841    to  the   day    of   his  death. 


LETTERS  AXD  ADDRESSES. 


335 


I  have  no  words  to  express  my  appreciation  of  him 
in  every  respect  as  soldier,  as  man,  as  gentleman, 
as  friend.  And  it  is  almost  a  waste  of  words  (for 
whatever  we  may  say,  whatever  has  been  said  to 
night,  it  is  only  the  expression  of  each  one  of  his 
old  comrades  and  friends,  and  of  each  individual 
of  the  people  of  the  United  States),  but  never,  it 
seems  to  me,  has  there  been  a  more  complete 
unanimity  of  expression  of  opinion,  and  it  all  comes 
to  the  same  words — model  Soldier,  model  Gentle 
man,  model  Man.  We  can  say  no  more. 


ALLEN    C.  REDWOOD,  ESQ., 

LATE     ARMY     OF     NORTHERN     VIRGINIA. 

T  N  the  recent  Water-Color  Exhibition  was  a  little 
picture  painted  by  one  of  my  friends — a 
veteran  soldier  as  well  as  an  accomplished  artist- 
to  which  a  peculiar  interest  attaches  at  this  time. 
It  represents  a  Confederate  infantryman,  a  well- 
characterized  figure,  clad  in  home-spun  brown 
jeans,  philosophically  smoking  a  pipe,  in  an  inter 
val  of  the  action  indicated  by  the  background 
figures,  while  he  scrutinizes  the  badge  upon  a  hat 
which  he  has  picked  up  for  solution  of  his  query, 


336         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

11  Who's  in  our  front  ?  "  To  judge  from  the  gravity 
of  his  expression,  the  answer  is  not  reassuring,  and 
close  observation  reveals  to  the  initiated  that  the 
bit  of  flannel  in  which  the  soldier's  interest  centres 
is  the  device  of  Hancock's  Corps — the  clover-leaf. 
These  little  scraps  of  red  or  blue  or  white  were 
significant  of  much,  as  we  learned  to  read  them 
aright.  The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  first  saw 
them  at  Chancellorsville,  where  we  of  Jackson's 
Corps  encountered  Howard's  crescent  and  the 
lozenge  of  Sickles.  But  it  was  not  until  that 
memorable  afternoon  of  July  3,  at  Gettysburg, 
that  we  met  the  men  whose  cap-fronts  bore  the 
trefoil  badge,  staunchly  guarding  the  position 
which  the  wise  foresight  of  their  own  commander 
had  chosen.  The  world  knows  the  story  of  that 
encounter  ;  how  the  pick  and  flower  of  Lee's  army 
— "that  incomparable  infantry,"  as  Swinton  calls 
it — surged  up  against  Hancock's  front,  while  two 
hundred  cannon  netted  the  air  above  and  about 
them  with  lines  of  fire  ;  hew  Kemper,  then  Garnett, 
went  down  in  the  track  of  that  bloody  advance, 
and  gallant  Armistead  fell  across  the  gun  his  men 
had  reached  but  could  not  hold.  It  was  in 
that  hot  grapple  that  we  came  to  know  and  to 
respect  the  valiant  soldier  whom  we  have  just  laid 
away,  and  the  sentiment,  then  and  there  inculcated, 
broadened  and  deepened  as  the  chance  of  war 


LETTERS  AND  ADDRESSES. 

developed  more  of  his  quality.  The  experience  of 
the  succeeding  campaign  revealed  the  fact  that  he 
was  no  less  formidable  in  attack  than  in  resistance 
—as  the  story  of  the  "Salient"  at  Spottsylvania 
attests.  In  that  same  summer,  it  was  my  fortune 
to  pass  over  a  part  of  the  Wilderness  field,  a  coun 
try  then  almost  literally  populated  with  dead.  In 
the  dense  woods  bordering  the  Orange  Plankroad, 
the  clover-leaves  lay  thick — an  aftermath  of  the 
dread  harvest  reaped  there  on  the  6th  of  May. 

But  we  come  to  bury  Caesar,  not  to  praise  him. 
In  a  few  weeks  more  the  man-child,  whose  eyes 
first  saw  the  light  in  the  springtime  when  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia  stacked  its  muskets 
and  furled  its  smoke-grimed  and  tattered  battle- 
flags  for  ever,  will  have  reached  man's  estate.  The 
eminent  figures  of  that  old  time  are,  one  by  one, 
passing  from  among  us.  The  last  of  the  coni- 
manders  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  has  gone 
upon  the  retired  list ;  of  Lee's  trusted  lieutenants 
but  one  remains.  It  is  fit  that  the  rancors  and 
passions  born  of  that  bitter  travail  should  be  laid 
to  rest ;  that  those  of  us  who  were  actors  in  the 
great  drama  should  look  back  upon  its  stirring 
scenes  only  to  recall  the  heroism  and  devoted  self- 
sacrifice  they  evoked,  and  to  glory  in  that  heritage 
as  a  common  possession.  And  while  I  cannot 
testify,  of  personal  knowledge,  to  those  noble  and 


338         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

endearing  traits  which  bound  General  Hancock  so 
closely  to  his  comrades  and  associates,  there  is  yet 
one  small  tribute  which  a  fighting  acquaintance 
with  him  permits  me  to  offer  to  his  memory,  in 
this,  that  the  symbol  of  his  corps,  when  we  saw  it 
"  in  our  front,  "  held  always  one  meaning — that 
there  was  stern,  earnest  soldier-work  cut  out  for  us. 

THE  REVEREND  HENRY  M.  BOOTH, 

OF    ENGLEWOOD,    N.    J. 
**#*>*#* 

C*  ENERAL  HANCOCK'S  career  was  one  of 
unusual  honor.  He  was  a  model  soldier. 
The  country  owes  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  which 
can  never  be  repaid.  I  regret  that  I  cannot  go  to 
this  service  and  express  by  my  presence  my  esti 
mate  of  the  gallant  officer. 


REVEREND  HOWARD  CROSBY,  D.D.,  LL.  D., 

OF    NEW    YORK. 

T  GREATLY  regret  that  absence  from  the  city 
will  prevent  my  attendance  at  the  Military 
Service  Institution,  to  hear  the  paper  on  the  "  Life 
and  Services  of  Major-General  Hancock,"  whose 
memory  will  be  precious  to  his  countrymen  to  the 
cr.cl  r.f  time. 


MILITARY  RECORD.  339 


MILITARY  RECORD. 

V\nNFIELD  SCOTT  HANCOCK  -  -  Cadet 
United  States  Military  Academy,  July  i, 
1840;  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Sixth  United 
States  Infantry,  July  i,  1844  ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
June  18,  1846  ;  Regimental  Quartermaster,  June  30, 
1848,  to  October  i,  1849;  Regimental  Adjutant, 
October  i,  1849,  to  November  7, 1855  ;  First  Lieu 
tenant,  January  27,  1853  ;  Captain  and  Assistant 
Quartermaster,  United  States  Army,  November  7, 
1855  ;  Major  and  Quartermaster,  November  30, 
1863;  Brigadier  -  General,  United  States  Army, 
August  12,  1864,  "  for  gallant  and  distinguished  ser 
vices  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania 
and  Cold  Harbor,  and  in  all  the  operations  of  the 
army  in  Virginia  under  Lieutenant-General  Grant  ; 
"Major-General,  July  26,  1866. 

Brigadier  -  General  United  States  Volunteers, 
September  23,  1861  ;  Major-General,  November  29, 
1862  ;  vacated  commission  in  Volunteer  Service, 
July  26,  1866. 

Brevetted:  First  Lieutenant  United  States  Army, 
August  20,  1847,  "for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct  in  the  battles  of  Contreras  and  Churubus- 
co,  Mexico  ; "  Major-Genera!  United  States  Army, 


340         REMINISCENCES  OF  WINFIELD  S.  HANCOCK. 

March  13,  1865,  "  for  gallant  and  meritorious 
services  in  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania,  Virginia." 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  MILITARY  SERVICE  INSTITUTION 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  October  i,  1878,  to  February 
9,  1886. 

Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Military  Order  Loyal 
Legion,  October  21,  1885,  to  February  9,  1886. 

BORN,  February  14,  1824,  at  Montgomery  Square, 
Montgomery  County,  Penn. 

DIED,  February  9,  1886,  at  Governor's  Island, 
New  York  Harbor. 


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